Outside of work I...
Sample One
Outside of work I endeavor to experience as much as I can, meet as many people as possible, and enjoy all the world has to offer. At this point in my life, I feel as if I have made giant strides toward this goal. To list some of my experiences, I am a pilot, motorcyclist, boater, scuba diver, hunter, and bartender. I know my way around a kitchen, and when there’s time, I enjoy reading classic novels, watching stage productions, and listening to classical music. I’m familiar with foreign languages and cultures, and I’ve traveled, lived, and conversed with people from all over the world. My “to do” list is extensive and includes an extended scuba diving tour of sunken World War II battleships in Micronesia’s Truk Lagoon and enjoying a magnificent horizon while learning about the life of a Tibetan Monk on a backpacking adventure through the Himalayas. A primary motivation for choosing my current career was the ability to travel and experience different things. My choice has not been disappointing. I have lived and worked on three continents where I’ve spent time in cities, remote areas, and sometimes the middle of the ocean. When it comes time for a vacation, I always choose somewhere new, and when a fresh experience is in sight, I jump at the opportunity.
In short, I strive to make the most of my life. The more I experience, the more fulfilling I find my life, and I know that continuing on this course will provide me with both personal satisfaction and the ability to converse with anyone - something that is very important to me on a personal level.
Sample Two
Coaching basketball has served as one of my best classrooms, teaching me valuable principles that I can apply to other parts of my life. Outside of work, I enjoy the challenge of this pursuit.
As a volunteer basketball instructor at the YMCA, I work with children on developing their skills and teamwork abilities. During a recent session, I noticed that one member of the team, a short, scrawny boy with glasses named Andrew, was having problems with his shooting drills. While the other children continued with their drills, I took Andrew aside, and worked with him individually. I helped correct his shooting form and had him shoot free throws. Unfortunately, he wasn’t making any of them. Andrew’s confidence was deflated and he was exerting less effort as a result. I decided to simplify the task. I took him under the basket and told him to start shooting from there. Andrew rolled his eyes at me, yet one by one started making his shots. The shots were easy from that distance, but though Andrew may not have realized it, he was slowly gaining his confidence back. I slowly moved him farther and farther away until he was shooting from the foul line again. This time, he was trying to make the basket from that distance. The ploy worked as he gradually improved his consistency and more importantly, began believing in himself. Today, Andrew’s skills are enhanced and the overall teamwork has improved as a result. Because of my influence, Andrew now stops to correct his teammates during basketball drills and encourages others to exert more effort.
My experience at the YMCA has taught me the important role that patience plays in building a strong team. By being patient with kids like Andrew, I provide them with an opportunity to contribute to the team. They in turn display patience with their fellow teammates, building stronger camaraderie. I have strived to employ this method at Hammond International, where I have successfully managed teams through difficult product implementations. Basketball has provided me with valuable lessons in leading a successful team and has allowed me to instill in children the importance of teamwork. The motivational and interactive skills that I have developed from interacting with children like Andrew will allow me to make an impact during my tenure at Kellogg. I know that my fellow classmates will share these skills and I am excited at the prospect of both contributing and benefiting from this inspired environment.
Sample Three
Outside of work, I have an overwhelming desire to serve my community. With a demanding travel and work schedule, I have found that I must be disciplined and inventive to find ways to contribute to my communities. One of my favorite volunteering activities is running with the New York Road Runner’s (NYRR) Foundation because I can give back to my local NY community and escape to Central Park for energizing jogs. The NYRR Foundation is an organization designed to teach disadvantaged youth the importance of fitness and have created race buddies to become role models for the youth. For the past year, I have volunteered as a race buddy and each month; I run with Susie, a ten-year old girl from Spanish Harlem.
For each race, we set a new goal for our run, whether it is running to the top of the hill in a tough stretch or jogging the entire race. As we run, jog, or walk, I am amazed at her perseverance to keep pushing through fatigue and lack of endurance training. When we cross the finish line, Susie flashes a smile that reflects the familiar sense of accomplishment all runners feel after completing a race. Using running as its vehicle, the goal of the Foundation is to impart children with the knowledge that hard work and training leads to achievement; a philosophy well ingrained in my own set of core values. Our runs are the perfect opportunity for me to pass on the special lessons my parents taught me: set lofty goals, maintain a positive attitude even when falling short of achieving these goals, and never give up reaching for them. In return, I am inspired by Susie’s positive attitude and motivation to attain her goals and it motivates me when I am lagging during a run or when I am working a late night to meet a project deadline.
Becoming a mentor with the Foundation has bolstered my belief that serving my community is about being inspired and inspiring others to make a positive, lasting impact in the community. With the large number of different volunteer opportunities at Kellogg, I am confident that I will be able to pursue activities aligned with my beliefs and interests: connecting with children, teaching lessons dear to me, and being inspired by others’ spirits. Business with a Heart (BWAH) will provide me the perfect conduit to continue developing relationships with youth at the Orrington School in Evanston. I intend to expand my horizons by participating in different volunteer activities, like the Tax Assistance program, as well as spearhead a new tutoring and mentoring activity revolving around the same tenets of the NYRR foundation. The level of student-initiated volunteer activities and overall spirit of community activism at Kellogg make it a perfect fit for my desire to help those around me and serve my community.
Sample Four
Two Friday nights each month, I set the dining room table in my cozy studio apartment with extra plates, sometimes squeezing in fifteen place settings around a table made for eight. On these nights, I put the finishing touches on a salad, give the pot of chicken soup another stir and prepare myself for the unknown: dinner guests whom I’ve never met.
Over the past three years, as part of my Washington, DC synagogue’s vibrant hospitality program, I have entertained and cooked for more than 200 people, mostly strangers. The people who have joined me for these Friday night dinners are visitors to Washington looking for a kosher Sabbath meal. Because I am known for cooking for thirty people when dinner is for three, I am on the top of the rotation of hosts, often receiving calls from the synagogue Rabbi late on a Thursday night to see if I can “fit four more.” My love of family style cooking coupled with my gratitude for having been taken under the wings of the hospitality committee when I moved to Washington, fueled my penchant for cooking for strangers.
My table has often felt like the U.N., hosting visiting South Africans to Israelis who happily partake in my mother’s secret stuffed cabbage recipe and my four layer chocolate cake. At my table I have refereed heated arguments between twenty-something visiting New Yorkers and twenty-something local Washingtonians all while making sure the wine is flowing and serving platters are kept full. It’s satisfying to know that my cooking has touched people from all over the world; many of my former guests have sent their friends and family who are visiting DC my way and have kept in contact over the years, emailing me for a good kugel recipe and filling me in on their lives. Through my Friday night dinner guests, I have built my own small community of diverse people, who have exchanged ideas in a most unlikely place—my always-expandable dining room table.
Sample Five
Outside of work I train for marathons.
Sweating away profusely, enduring the gnawing pain in my knees, and trying to keep myself cool on this unexpectedly warm November day, I still had 12 miles to go. Though I had already been running for two and a half hours, the hot baking sun, the sheer pain and a growing fatigued body all felt too unreal to be true. I started running in college, but it was not until my move to California that I have passionately pursued long-distance running. Initially, I wanted to run a marathon in order to challenge myself and determine new boundaries for my physical endurance.
My attempts to run my first two marathons were not successful. However, with dedication and strenuous training, I put my will power to the test on my third attempt. The initial 18 miles went by smoothly. However, around mile 20, I was in excruciating pain. My sore knees and my old ankle injury were throbbing like a giant sore. I literally had to talk myself into keep running for the next 6 miles, the longest six miles of my life. Walking was not an option as starting to run again was agonizingly painful. It was less painful for me to run slowly than to go through a walk and run routine. My persistence finally paid off and I finished my first marathon. Standing at the finish line with a medal, I was overwhelmed with a singular mixture of ecstasy and agony.
Over the years, running has proven to be the hobby I enjoy the most. Running for me is a therapeutic and meditative hobby. It helps me stay focused and de-stress when I have crazy week at work. I have met unique and interesting people from around the globe through running events. This hobby has allowed me to combine my passion with the causes I most feel passionate about - whether it is running for Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Society or fundraising through National AIDS Marathon Training Program. I cherish running on trails of Santa Cruz mountains as it lets me experience wilderness. I enjoy pushing myself on the uphill runs through the Twin Peaks district of San Francisco as I know that after every uphill there comes a downhill. I feel most alive running along the rugged and majestic California coastline for it makes me humble and appreciative of life, and I hope to continue to run with my colleagues in the Kellogg Running Club along Lake Shore Drive.