Togo Personal Statement

My interest in international affairs stems from the disparity between my life in the United States and my life in Togo. I was born and half-raised in Togo. I moved to the United States in 2006 primarily to live with my father after the death of my mother. Instantly, I noticed the better quality of life that Americans enjoyed. The complete reality of life in the United States juxtaposes the preconceived utopian image of a land flowing with honey and milk that immigrants, including myself, have. For example, poverty, homelessness and hunger also exist in the United States. Nevertheless, I noticed the programs and resources that the government department and agencies and non-governmental organizations provide to alleviate such global issues. Attempts to solve these conflicts are less present in Togo. The private school in Lomé, the capital and largest city of Togo, did not even have a library, so imagine how less resourceful a public school in a remote village would be. The inequality between the available …show more content…
Throughout the years, I’ve noticed how vague that aspiration was and wanted a more realistic one. And as much as I want to want to help others with a career in international affairs, I’ve found it difficult to know to actualize my passion to effectuate change in the world, especially in African countries. As a political science major at Wellesley, I have taken relevant classes that exposed me to contemporary issues in international affairs. The Rangel Summer Enrichment Program would contribute to the knowledge I’ve already acquired and expose me to careers in the field. Engagements with foreign affairs professionals and visits to relevant organizations will help me move from having a desire to impact the world to having feasible plans that will yield quantitative and qualitative results that show that I have impacted