Statement of Purpose

Albert Einstein has this great quote that says, “A human being is part of a whole, called by us the ‘universe’, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest — a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.” This delusion, I’ve observed, is very common in the United States. Most people seem to be stuck in their little bubble of oblivion, completely ignorant to the forces and experiences of people not immediately connected to their own lives. People seem to forget, including myself, that our actions not only affect our own lives, but that they also profoundly impact the rest of the world; the lives of people we may have never even met. Thinking about the bowl of cereal I eat every morning, I am mind-blown when I try to fathom the amount of people it took for me to get that bowl of cereal. The farmers who grew the grains, the factory workers who operated the machines in the cereal factory, the truck drivers that brought the box of cereal to my local grocery store; all of them made it possible for me to have my breakfast.

Most mornings, I don’t really contemplate this entire process, probably because I don’t have to. I live in this invisible bubble where I only worry about my daily trivial disasters, and I don’t have to think about those connections. I want to study abroad because I want to burst that bubble of ignorance, and I want to know what is happening elsewhere. I want to shatter my sense of entitlement and privilege and find out what is happening in the lives of other people that don’t live the same way I do. Growing up in the United States, I have been accustomed to a life of luxury. However, life is not like this everywhere, and is actually very...

... middle of paper ...

...ch as the Latino immigrants in my hometown.

An individual’s story is not a separate entity, like most people like to believe. An individual story is part of the larger narrative of humanity. Each voice has a unique perspective on major world issues such as capitalism, which affect various countries around the world. It’s crucial for me to learn how these voices add to the international conversation, not just because it will help me in my professional career, but because it will also empower me as a person. Through bursting the self-absorbed bubble of my lived experience, I will force myself to be aware of the realities of others, not just my own. As Einstein explains, “our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.” Mr. Einstein, I accept the challenge.