As I am applying for the Dream NEW scholarship for studying in New Zealand, the only task that still lay ahead of me was to write an essay. I was in such a flow that I did not even realize how much I had written, but when I checked I saw that I was already at 2400 characters - well above the limit, so I started anew. This is what I wanted to write originally, but since it was too long, it´s been moved to this spot instead.
"I was thinking about writing a normal, college style motivation/application essay. But then I rethought this and figured it would make more sense to tell you about who I am and how I can contribute to the University of Otago and New Zealand in general. Ok, I agree, this is what a normal essay is about, but I want to write it in a more informal, 'my kind of style' way.
I recently went to a friends house I hadn´t seen in ages - when we reunited we estimated it to have been 4 or 5 years since we had actually seen each other and obviously we were very happy about finally meeting up again. From earlier on, when I was a frequent visitor at his house I knew his parents, Gabi and Minou, who are absolutely adorable. Gabi knew me well and so it was she who asked Minou, once she saw me, if she remembered which Svenja I was (good questions since I had last seen her probably 5 years ago), and Minou replied: "Of course, she is the crazy one!" Now I don´t know if this is who you have in mind, when you think of your next Kiwi Ambassador, but I promise that it won´t get boring. I like to get a little crazy from time to time and try out new things where others might say it´s absolutely bonkers (actually my English professor in college said this to me once). I believe that having fun is one of the most important things in life, because how else would you be able to recognize its beauty and value?
This is who I am and who people who meet me get to know. I am generally friendly with everyone, as I see no point in being overly jealous, upset, bothered or whatever other word might come to mind. From early on I enjoyed getting to know people and discover new places, and thus I have already lived on four of the seven continents (if you count Antartica and divide the Americas into North and South) with Hong Kong being my latest exploit. Having lived there for two years gave me the opportunity to get to know its people, the local culture and traditions as well as making new friends. Another heat of the moment decision, that I didn´t regret for a single minute - even though my math teacher told me I would - was dropping out of school to travel Australia in 2010. And look where it got me - applying to a scholarship to study in New Zealand, a country I have been fascinated by ever since I read the first book by Sarah Lark in 2009."
This is where I stopped to check the characters count and upon realizing I´d written too much, I started again with a different agenda in mind:
"A friend’s mom once described me as the crazy one; being only 24 and having lived on four continents, life, culture and experience is about stories, and the New Zealand and Maori cultures are going to be part of my story! About 7 years ago, I first read the books of Sarah Lark which deal extensively with the topic of New Zealand. Her accounts of New Zealand fascinated me and I soon found myself learning everything I could about this country. I recently even started learning Maori via an app, though I have to admit it´s still a little bit beyond me (I hope to change this once I am actually in New Zealand). Studying at the University of Otago will offer me the possibility not only to study Maori, but also to learn about international politics from a different perspective, to immerse myself in New Zealand culture and to come a little step closer to my dreams – making the world a better place. I admit, this is a very ambitious goal, but one has to start somewhere and studying in New Zealand will open my horizon further and help me understand other cultures and people – one step in the right direction. So this is me: crazy to the core, always up to (no) good, enjoying life to its fullest and making friends wherever I go, but also courageous, honest, direct, and caring. This application for Kiwi Ambassador includes the 'CRAZY AND EXCITING' guarantee.
And the text above is what can be found on the New Zealand page of this website as part of my official application for the Dream NEW scholarship. If you are interested in the scholarship, check out this website.
