Please complete the personal statement IN YOUR OWN WORDS. You must submit the personal statement in English in the space provided below. Describe, in no more than 500 words, your reasons for applying for your chosen course of study and the ways in which you expect your study experience to make a difference to your life and those around you.

I have been interested in art and

design

since I was a child.

However

, here in Taiwan, if you can be an engineer or a doctor, you are encouraged to be one, and I was no exception. During high school, I was influenced by my peers, changing my career path to engineering. In 2016, I selected mechanical engineering as my major. It didn't take me long to realize that I was not good at the discipline I had chosen. Not knowing what I was capable of doing, nor did I know what I like, I could not be more lost and frustrated. Luckily, by the end of the semester, I signed up for a

design

workshop. During the workshop, I felt the passion lay within my heart. As I dived down deeper in the following semester, it became apparent that I was meant to be a designer.

However

, I struggled. Setting my career in

design

implies giving up the smooth path which staying in engineering guarantees. There was a voice inside telling me to follow my heart, but all the people around me told me

otherwise

. The two forces were tearing me apart, and under the pressure my performance only got worse. One day, it dawned on me that doing what I liked was the only way to optimize my career development.

As a result

, I signed up for our school

design

program to broaden my horizon. I

also

took on the role of a

design teaching

Accept comma addition

design, teaching

assistant, tutoring students in basic

design

principles, and helped them carry out their own projects.

Although

engineering was difficult for me, I consider it as a supporting profession and the foundation of my

design

. In the very same academic year, I joined in a competition with my friends to have my

first

tryout of combining engineering and

design

. Yet, it was not enough for me. I wanted to test the limits and break through. Attending graduate school is a perfect opportunity to help me integrate all my skills better.

Thus

, it became the ultimate goal of my college years. It took me a long time to get myself prepared. To have my own portfolio, new products had to be designed, and there were so many tools that I had to be familiar with. Simply attending courses was not enough.

Therefore

, to challenge myself, I became a freelance graphic designer. After two years of hardworking,

last

Christmas I submitted my applications. Receiving the admission letter from California College of the Arts was a major milestone. It was not only a letter, but a solid proof of my

design

ability. Right at the moment I didn’t feel out of place anymore, and I was

finally

relieved for the

first

time in my college years.

Nevertheless

,

this

is not the end of the story, but the beginning of my journey.

Although

the future remains unknown, I shall let what I have learned guide me and embrace whatever comes

next

.