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This I Believe
Last week, I was tasked with writing my personal leadership statement for my North Carolina Fellows Program capstone class. The program allows college students to define and enhance their leadership styles throughout their time at UNC-Chapel Hill. The only rules for this assignment were that the statement had to take the format of NPR’s “This I Believe” series, started in 2009, and that it had to be recorded in our own voice. Here’s what I had to say: For those of you who’d prefer to read it, there’s a transcribed version below. I was born to a mother who taught me that empathy is the key to life. She taught my brother and I…
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The Time I Got Sage Advice (From a Crazy Scotswoman) on the Train
I’ve been fortunate enough to meet interesting people in the most serendipitous of ways. This is the story about how I got some powerful advice from one of them. When I was studying abroad in London, I spent half my week taking classes at UNC’s Winston House and half my week working in Reading for Bullitt Group Ltd. The commute to and from Reading took me about an hour each way, and my rides home would often involve looking out at the sunset through the train window. I’d often get to Paddington Station for the last leg of my journey and find crowds of people all trying catch the 5.30pm train home. On one particular Thursday afternoon, the…
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My Big Obsession with Tiny Homes
There is something intriguing about being able to build a home that is cute, affordable and eco-friendly. I first became interested in tiny homes when I decided to entertain my mother’s idea about watching HGTV’s “Tiny House, Big Living.” She is obsessed with home and garden design shows and has done everything in her power to get me to follow suit. In the summer of 2018, she finally succeeded. Together, my mother and I watched countless episodes of people searching for the perfect tiny homes across the US. Some of them were less-than-ideal, with cramped spaces and no storage (that’s a no from me, dawg). But others were fantastic, boasting…
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My Thoughts on Studying Abroad
The last 5 years of my life have been one long study abroad experience. I added to that experience by participating in the UNC Honors Semester in London in the Spring of 2017. I had the most amazing time there, and London remains one of my favorite places in the world. When I got back, I was interviewed by the Undergraduate Admissions team. Here are a few of my thoughts on studying abroad. Why you picked this program: I had always wanted to live in London and the program was the perfect opportunity for me to do so. The diversity of the city is something that I’ve always been drawn to…
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Summer Internship 2017 – Mauritius
My high school, African Leadership Academy, was founded on the premise of creating the next generation of African leaders. The intention was for us to learn about emotional intelligence, and ethical leadership and entrepreneurship so as to forge a better path for our continent. The founder of my high school decided to start up a university to continue these lessons into tertiary education and that is how the African Leadership University began in 2015. After a long and amazing semester in London, I got on a plane and headed to a tiny island in the Indian Ocean called Mauritius. The country is truly beautiful, boasting sandy beaches and coral reefs.…