They say everyone dies twice -- the first time when you stop breathing, and the second when your name is uttered for the last time. I am part of a generation of people who now more than ever think they will make an impact on the rest of the world. I am including myself in this disproportionately large group, even though what we continue to imagine is statistically impossible. There is a limit to the number of names that can be etched in stone, unless they rest above graves. The immortalization of my name through my usefulness to society is not necessarily a goal I want to have, because even humanity will cease to exist. I am aware, however, that I am motivated to leave my mark on the world. What I am trying to do, with the help of this scholarship, is accumulate the best tools possible to impact the world. Now, of course, this is an incredibly ambitious task. But, I imagine the worst possible outcome would leave me with skills that I am able to invest in companies that possibly do not demand them. I will inevitably provide these companies with my skills, which will allow me to stand out. That is the goal of …show more content…
The determining factor was that although astronomy is an incredibly interesting and important field, it is not something I care enough about to consider a viable career option. It was extremely hard for me to let myself abandon this path, since throughout my life I have committed to everything I started: I played the violin for ten years, I swam competitively for six years, and took spanish classes for nine years. I was constantly reminded that I could have given them up at any time. However, as I stated in the beginning, I want to be useful. I cannot be useful by working at something that even I do not even view as useful. This explains my almost 180 degree rotation to a major in economics -- to me, one of the most pragmatic