Seriously, I don’t know how to write an aptly-yet-formidably-named “personal statement”. But I do feel at ease telling my would-be teachers what kind of person I am, how much I love interpreting and, above all, why I want to start a challenging yet rewarding journey at GIIT SISU Conference Interpreting and why I think I’m qualified to.
On the one hand, to be an outstanding interpreter- especially a freelance one- has long been my dream, not least because of the flexible lifestyle it has to offer. Inevitable as pains are in the odyssey of becoming a top conference interpreter, I’m absolutely ready to do whatever it takes to realize my dream. I choose this career not, to make no mistake, for the “big” money it entails, which is not so big compared with that of, say, investment banking; nor for the illusory fame some would like to associate with those in the mysteriously alluring “boxes”, which is not so true when you see that they’re never in the spotlight (almost always overshadowed by VIPs). I choose it primarily, as I mentioned above, out of my fetish about the independence to schedule my own workdays, to travel extensively, to engage in various cultures and to get a not-so-fat paycheck. Also, English has been in my blood since I was a little kid (all thanks to my mother who is a patient and loving high-school English teacher) and ever since I got admitted into SISU Foreign Language Radio as an anchor for English & Chinese News, I find it increasingly enjoyable to closely follow international affairs by reading high-quality international newspapers and magazines (e.g. The “Grey Lady”, the Economist) and by watching relevant TV programs. I’m the kind of person whose curiosity about the world would never be satisfied, and what could offer me a better chance to know something of everything than to be a freelance interpreter?
On the other hand, as one of the top 5% English majors at Shanghai International Studies University, I think- and hope my test results would tell you so- I’m academically capable of furthering my studies with a group of first-class simultaneous interpreters as my teachers, whose charm literally overwhelmed me in the six-month Business Interpreting program I took from June to November last year. Ailin, Douglas, Larry and others were all hugely impressive, adorable, and “God! How I wish I were one of them!”
Apart from my academic research papers which won extraordinary praise from a renowned professor in American studies (looking forward to telling you this story^^), I also scored high (94/100) in the Public Speaking course I chose, which was taught by the dean of English College, also a famous scholar.
I took a wide range of courses not only at SISU, but also at Fudan University. Among my favorites are World Economy, World Politics, Microeconomics, Chinese Classical Literature, the Middle East, American Studies, Greco-Roman Mythology, Astronomy, and Global Current Affairs, in all of which I got satisfactory scores. As my high (in the case of last term, the highest) GPA, together with a cornucopia of extra-curricular activities and part-times (some of which were translators and interpreters) might- or might not- tell you, I’m a tough student equipped with good study skills and well capable of managing stress.
For a well-qualified student aspiring to be one of the best conference interpreters, if GIIT SISU is not the right place for her, I don’t know what is.
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