Autobiographical Essay

My aspiration toward a better education starts all the way back to when I started school in Russia. Out of the short educational experience that I had in Russia, I remember that almost everybody wanted to be the straight-A student (or straight-"5" by Russian grading). That, combined with the constant pressure from my family helped me get excited about school and made me want to learn. My education in Russia was cut short, however, when we moved to the United States.

In the United States, education is a bit different from Russia. I immediately noticed that I was not challenged in math. In first grade in Russia, schoolchildren were learning multiplication, while first graders in the U.S. were still on addition. Naturally, I was disinterested in some parts of school, but learning English kept me considerably busy. Our family moved around quite a bit after this, finally settling down here in Cleveland.

Along the way, before Cleveland, I had the chance to attend about three different school districts. Each offered a unique experience, coupled with different opportunities. Seeing as I was ahead of my peers in math and science, my parents continued to expedite my math and science education by forcing me to read Russian textbooks. At the time, I hated that, but looking back, it was very beneficial for me. After first grade, our family moved, and by the second half of second grade, I had mostly caught up on my English skills. Coupled with all the math I learned at home, I was initiated into the gifted services program during the latter part of second grade. Subsequently, our family moved yet again to Cleveland.

Here in Cleveland I attended two different school districts. In fourth grade, I was given an excellent opportunity to ...

... middle of paper ...

... summer semesters) and pedal to both school and college in all kinds of weather. This all coalesced when I culminated high school with both a diploma and an associate's degree.

My quest toward a higher education was by no means a simple one. Even now, at CSU, I had to defer my admission for one semester for an internship at Cleveland Clinic to earn money to pay for my classes. Nevertheless, all of my opportunities and challenges had some kind of positive impact on my education. I hope to continue my education here at CSU and attain a Master's degree in Computer and Information Science. I am applying to the Honors Program here to both stimulate myself with more work and provide me with an opportunity in the form of scholarships. If my past has taught me anything, it's that challenges and opportunities combined offer a great environment for learning and improvement.