Hi! I'm Kristen Pikaart. I am currently a second year undergraduate at the University of Michigan. Within the academic sphere, I am committed to cultural exchange and learning, and love hearing people's stories. In my free time, you can find me either in the gym practicing my Taekwondo or in the kitchen trying out new recipes!
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Examples of a short essay include the UC PIQs as well as school-specific supplementals.
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People may look at me when I bring two backpacks to school every day and think I am one of those try-hard students. They must think I have so many belongings that they cannot possibly fit into one regular school bag. Probably all of those AP classes and extracurricular activities taking up space, right? In truth, in the back seat of my car I carry the weight of not just my academics, but my home life as well. One bag for school, and one bag for my mom's house...or was it for my dad's house? What day is it again?
Throughout my life, I repeatedly hear about "the rule of three." The rule of three is the idea that we as humans look for patterns, and that the number three best satisfies this need. When I looked for this pattern in my own life, I found the number two surrounding me instead. I have two sisters who try to support me despite them not understanding me and my thought processes. I have two divorced, now single, parents who have greatly influenced my life both positively and negatively by resolving external conflicts but creating new internal ones. I am even reminded of the two lives that I could have lived: one as an Asian American, and one that is concealed in the mystery of a closed international adoption. And again, I feel the presence of the two backpacks literally weighing down my shoulders.
These observations compelled me to think deeply not just about my life, but about myself as a person. Who am I? Can I be defined by my life experiences? Or maybe my achievements define me? How about the characteristics of my personality - do they play a role in who I am? Once I think that I figured it out and I think I know the final answer, I find myself revisiting the same "Who am I?" question. I still don't know who I am, and it is an ongoing battle. Day after day, the battle wages on, but the small victories are what push me to strive forward. I find these in the quality time I spend with my family and closest friends, in the warming glow and refreshing coolness of the seasonal changes, and even in the stillness of the rain that encases me while I sit alone in my room listening to lo-fi music.
I know a day will come where I will be required to answer the grand question of "Who am I," but now is not the right time. It will not happen all at once like a wildfire, but more like a slow-burning candle. I have accepted and embraced this fact. I now know that the answer is constantly taking a new shape and evolving into what it is meant to be, and at the moment I am content with this. One day I will finally have the answer that I have been searching for, and when the time comes where I will be able to confidently answer "Who am I," I will be able to carry both backpacks with ease.
I hope to major in Linguistics, B.A. within the College of Letters and Science. In the beginning, I did not fully comprehend how multidimensional linguistics is, but after reading more in-depth on the department website, I learned about areas of specialization like acquisition, language disorders, and even fields I had never heard about like psycholinguistics. By being a part of this program, I hope to build a solid knowledge of all parts of language. The information learned would aid in understanding not just spoken and written language, but help me acquire many valuable skills like gaining a deeper perspective of the world, understanding how language is used in a practical sense, and developing critical analysis skills.
While pursuing a linguistics degree, I hope to be a part of one of the over 260 study abroad programs. Studying abroad would allow me to enhance my base knowledge of other cultures. From a young age, I have always loved foreign cultures and languages. I grew up in a household constantly having influences from other countries via foreign exchange students. I was intrigued by their native languages and entranced by their ways of life. I am confident that the study abroad programs offered by this university can continue to provide me with greater possibilities to expand my cultural knowledge. Although I am not set on a specific program, I do not doubt that I would easily find one that suits my interests and allows me to apply my knowledge of linguistics and foreign languages in real-world situations.
Although the academic side of school can be enriching, I believe the extracurricular side of schooling can be an equally rewarding space where communities can flourish. Through extracurriculars, students of diverse majors and academic interests can come together and relate over similar hobbies. One club that I wish to join at UW-Madison is the Cooking Club, UW Madison. This club could enhance my cultural knowledge through experience of food/cuisine from all over the world. I would be able to make Wisconsin-Madison, a large university, small in the way of an intimate community brought together by food.
After a diligent search of the programs and extracurriculars that UW-Madison offers, I have concluded that this university would not only help me fall deeper in love with language but also help me discover new passions that were previously unavailable to me. Wisconsin-Madison is a top choice for me because of its unique opportunities to grow academically and personally within its diverse community.
