Masters in Finance Application Essay

Growing up as a young black man in an impoverished neighborhood had numerous problems. To begin with, I was unable to openly associate with my classmates who appeared to be of higher social standing. Because our family lived hand to mouth, we could not afford the same life comforts as my friends. It was mentally exhausting after the holidays when the children would assemble and recount their vacation exploits while I was stationed there, wishing I had boarded a train to the nearest fast food outlet. Sometimes, we would bypass one meal and had to assist our parents in doing manual jobs so that we could afford the necessary amenities. My dad was a carpenter at a local design shop and my mom worked as an elementary school teacher. Having a parent as a teacher compounded to my problems because I was expected to perform well and even lead in the examinations. However, the opposite was always true. Ironically, I was always the last in my mathematics class, yet my mother taught math and sciences

Regularly, mum would remind us on the virtue of hard work and consistency. I however felt that were lessons were not applying to me. Despite the fact that I was putting in long hours into my studies, I seemed to always be the last. At some point, I imagined that my maths teacher hated me and hence opted to revenge by awarding me low marks. The opposite would however be true because I would not assist a fellow classmate compute a simple algebraic equation. It was indeed stressing that apart from being ridiculed for coming from a poor background, I had to deal with the torture accompanied by my poor performance. Every time, I would dread going to the assembly hall because I could only anticipate the mockery and the beating that the last ten students in mathematics were subjected to. Unfortunately, no one in the school faculty noticed the impact that the treatment was doing to my fellow students and I psychologically. Although we were stressed about it, over time, we got used to the maltreatment and it hence never bothered us that were always failing in class. We were all doomed failures and losers by the rest of the team and naturally, the message sunk in.

In my fifth grade, I met a friend called John who seemed so happy despite being a total failure academically. John never had any dull moment; he was always playful and jovial. With time, we became close, and we would spend most of our free times together. One Sunday morning, John invited me to his house that is when I realised that he indeed came from a relatively well-off family. At that moment, John confided in me that he was using marijuana to remain happy and avoid feeling sad about the ridicule directed to him in class. My curiosity would not let me pass the opportunity to become happy like John. Over time, John would bring me little doses of marijuana and in no time, I was addicted. I remember stealing my mum’s money so that I could find some marijuana from john’s vendor. At this point, I was evidently devastated and stressed about life. I naturally became rebellious and I started boycotting school.

My mother however sought the intervention of the school’s therapist and I was taken through some counselling sessions. Also, I was put in a rehabilitation centre for a month where we were taught on the consequences of drug abuse and how one would break free from an addiction. My counselling sessions went for about six months and I began noticing some transformation in my life. I realised that the ridicule I faced in school not only put me down but it killed all the stamina I had into improving myself. My mother also noticed that she had neglected her role as a mother as she has little time to spare for the family. Through mum’s guidance, I emerged the best in maths in my senior year, to my schoolmate’s amazement. I later on enrolled for a finance degree and I graduated with honours. The experience taught me that young people need to be guided and not rebuked for their behaviours. It is hence easy to transform a young man using positive words and affirmation than through commands and negative statements. I vowed that is I hold a position of power in the future; I would help transform the young people and not demand a particular outcome.