PinkNails Wants Help with Essay

Pinknails,

Please

Also, please don't carpet bomb the forum with your requests to have your letter examined. One request is sufficient. Several requests is impolite. We Canadians are usually more polite.

You had attached your essay to the end of another thread. I took the liberty of having your post start a new thread.

It's late now, so someone else or I will look at your stuff soon.

MountainHiker

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here are the instructions:
ESSAY A - Autobiographical Essay:

Give us your best writing. Tell us about yourself. You can include information on your family, significant persons, places and events in your life, what interests you, etc. You have some leeway with the writing format however overly dramatic or comedic writing including poetry or writing in the 3rd person is not encouraged. After reading your autobiographical essay the reader should be both informed and motivated to find out more about you.


HERE IS MY ESSAY...

I knew I wanted to be a writer when I had three of my poems published in a regional elementary school competition here in Toronto. It was then, at the age of eight that I realized my dream of leaving a literary trace in this world. My first journalistic experience occurred in 1996 through my membership as an active member of Toronto’s Metro Youth Council. I had volunteered for several note-taking sessions concerning the long-term effects of the economy and globalization on youth. I recorded the minutes of formal meetings and assisted facilitators with interactive youth programs addressing issues affecting youth, global concerns, crime, jobs, affordable education and various training programs. My notes were then used to help draft the final proposal, which was presented at the Conference of Major Metropolis’s in Tokyo, Japan, in 1996.

As a student attending Catholic Arts high school, I could not understand how an undergraduate’s degree would have benefited me at all. My former dreams of becoming the leading flutist in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra were dying down and I was entering the world as a high-school graduate with no major plans in store. In 2001, I started a small job recruiting and resume consulting business in which I prepare my clients resumes and portfolio’s for today’s job market. After graduating from high school, I stumbled into a five-week contract position with Ingram Micro, an information technology wholesaler, and quickly excelled to a full time marketing role. My experience at Ingram Micro enabled me to visualize how an Undergraduate degree could enhance my performance, communication skills and develop my craft of creative writing. It also helped in the development of my overall administrative skills. I eventually left Ingram Micro to pursue my Undergraduates degree in Communication Studies and Humanities at York University.

Throughout my life, my education and work experiences have fuelled my desire to be involved in a professional media environment. My experience as a freelance writer for a number of local print and on-line magazines within Toronto has lead to my interest in journalism. In October of 2002, I joined Urban Vibez Magazine, a small urban hip-hop magazine in Toronto. As junior editor in chief I edited and directed the preparation of a their materials for publication. In addition, I was also responsible for researching marketing and communication news, managing our editorial staff, and keeping track of deadlines and production dates. Working with a small staff enabled me to work closely with our advertising, circulation and promotion departments, which helped me to understand the intricate details involved in publishing a monthly magazine. Unfortunately, within a period of six to seven months my career with Urban Vibez magazine was short lived due to slow advertising sales. Overall, my time spent with Urban Vibez magazine helped me to realize the role I wanted to take part in, in the magazine industry.

Aside from working part time and putting myself through school, my extracurricular activities primarily involve freelance writing and the completion of my memoir. I have submitted several articles and opinion pages to print and on-line magazines, local newspapers and community bulletins within Toronto. The articles I have written address a variety of topics including health, relationships and child abuse issues as well cultural events and Internet piracy. I also enjoy reading and collecting magazines, acting and interior design. In addition, I have worked as an extra in the film and television industry in Toronto.

My love for being in front of or behind the camera further propelled me to intern for The Weather Network in their Marketing and Communications department in 2004. My duties at The Weather Network vary from researching and archiving media clippings, participating in marketing meetings, assisting with contests, audience relations, partnerships, merchandise selection, advertising initiatives and the overall execution of our Marketing plan. One of my biggest accomplishments was designing, writing and releasing a seasonal newsletter to The Weather Networks Extreme Weather Team. The outcome of this piece received positive responses from Extreme Weather Team members. In the future, I plan to be involved in the creative or business side of a media environment. My goal is to work in a prestigious news, magazine or broadcast organization where I can bring both a Caribbean-Canadian and American perspective to my work. My aim is to inform the public on current, national and local topics and eventually branch out into on-air reporting, anchoring and news production.

Living in Canada has exposed me to various cultures, religions and ethnicities. While attending school, my class consisted of children with Italian, Hispanic, Portuguese, East Indian, East Asian, Vietnamese and Lebanese backgrounds. Having friends with such diverse cultures gave me insight into their culturally rich backgrounds. For the past twenty years I have spent my summer’s visiting my relatives in New York City and have developed an interest in going to school there. My summers in New York also allowed me to observe the similarities and differences amongst certain cultural groups within Canada and the United States. My travels throughout the United States of America have spanned the Eastern Coast. I have been to places such as Buffalo and New York City, New York, historic Delaware and Pennsylvania, Atlanta, Georgia, the nation's capital Washington, DC, Mid-West Illinois and the Sunshine State of Florida. Some of my most exciting travel took place throughout several visits in the Caribbean including Cuba, Jamaica, The Dominican Republic and the Bahamas. Throughout my entire employment history, I have had the privilege of working with people from various backgrounds, who not only enlightened me with home cooked meals but also with cultural history lessons. I embrace diversity and I am not afraid of it.

Although it took me a bit longer to complete my undergraduate education, I consider it my greatest achievement. I paid for it, I struggled for it and I gave up a great deal of my life for it. I also realize that my educational path is not complete. As I approach the completion of my Undergraduate degree, I realize that in order to reach the level of success I have set for myself, I will need to further my education. That is why I am applying to Columbia’s graduate program in Magazine journalism. In my opinion, Canada and the United States television, newspaper and magazine industries are different. However, America’s media industry yields far more diverse media outlets and opportunities for research in this field. This experience will enhance my understanding of the relationship between Canada and the United States by allowing a cross-cultural and balanced exchange of knowledge with those that I encounter.