Question: Please describe yourself to your MBA classmate. Note: to guide you to write the essay I have made a detailed information about myself - my background, interest, goal, character, etc. 1. Personal Background My name is Livita Indah Gunardi, I am an Indonesian and I will be 21 years old on the next June 6th. I completed my primary and secondary educations in the International School in Bali – Indonesia. Then I continued to Monash University in Melbourne Australia and on December 2010 I finished my studies there and got my Bachelor Degree in Business, Banking, Finance and Economic. The next step would be for me to pursue for my graduate studies in one of the best universities in the United States, and I eagerly want to be admitted at Columbia University for the program study of Full-time MBA. I am the second child in my family. I have one elder sister, and one younger brother. My parents are entrepreneurs, and both my mom and day have been very busy handling their own business entities since they were very young. Their business activities include Retail, F&B, Garment Industry, and Property. However, both my parents are very family persons who always put the family and their children at the top priority, no matter how busy they`re, they would never neglect their children and family, and amazingly, they do enjoy their multi-roles in their lives, as parent, as themselves, and as a very businesspersons. Indeed for me they are the best mom and dad in the world. My sister Lita is a fashion designer and she produces her own label for Ladies wear, and she also owns a boutique of her label. My younger brother Julio is currently studying in Melbourne Australia for his foundation years to University. Julio said to me that someday he would like to be a famous Corporate Lawyer. 2. Interest My biggest non-academic interest is sports and reading. When I was is high school I played in almost all sports club. I played basketball, volleyball, softball and soccer, and I played golf for fun. Basketball and volleyball were my main sports. I joined varsity basketball and varsity volleyball and became the captain of varsity volleyball team. I played basketball since I was still 5 years old and I have been representing my school since I was in 4th grade. Volleyball, on the other hand, I played since I was in 7th grade, when the school was creating a volleyball varsity team. The school was providing 2x2hours volleyball practice every week for a month to gather up the team. It recruits the best players to build a varsity volleyball team. I signed up, and been accepted to the team and eventually became the team captain after I one game when I scored 18 score because the opponent team cannot hit the ball that I serve and end up saving my team from losing. Our school did not have soccer team for girls and softball team at the time when I was still in high school. However, the school participates in many sports competition among international school that include soccer, basketball and volleyball. They usually gather up an “emergency” team by choosing from the best students at PE. The team usually practices only 2 months before the competition until the end of the competition. I was one of the best students at PE so I was always one of PE`s teacher`s first choices to represents the school for sports. I love sport, so I always agree to join, and sometimes I volunteer. Also, I am quiet familiar with the game as I used to fill in a player spot when the boys are short in players. I have always been so focused in basketball and volleyball. I practice volleyball 2x3hours per week and 4x3hours per week. One year before my graduation I realize that I want to try something new and the school was starting a new sport team, which is softball and baseball. They plan to give training for one year until officially creating the varsity softball and baseball. I joined and I was really happy because the coach always compliments my pitching. However I graduated from school before they officially create the team. 3. Character I am active, enthusiastic, and positive, believing that I can achieve anything as long as I give it my best efforts. This confidence helps me excel in my work and extracurricular activities. My open-mindedness and love of meeting new and different people makes me excited about taking part in campus and community social organizations. I am also a very goal oriented person, discipline, focus and ambitious. My friends see me as a leader, which I think I inherited from my mom. Just before my college graduation, one of my best friends gave me a farewell/congratulation card, addressing it to “our leader”. I was both surprised and confused, partly because I never knew that there is such thing as a leader in friendship and partly because I am the youngest among my friends. I knew that my friends had always seen me as a role model, because they admired my ambition, my hard work and self-discipline. I know how to manage my time, how to balance my social life, my family and my education and career. I am a very goal-oriented person, I would do anything to achieve my goal and I would not let anything get in the way. At first I thought this might also be the reason why they called me their leader. But as I continue reading the card I found out that it was not for the same reason. Rather, it was because I am always the one who bring all of us together, I seem to always know what I am doing and what I want, I am the wisest among us, and most importantly it is because every time I am around I make the atmosphere different and alive. I agree with my friends entirely about all those things they said about me, however, they only describe those attributes that they like about me. I, myself, perceive myself as a funny, charming and excellent conversationalist. Qualities that I believed I inherited from both my parents. From disarming someone who is a potential adversary in business to social networking, I feel my humor is a strong quality that I use to my advantage. I also think I leave a more lasting positive impression on people when I make them smile. There is, of course, a time for and style of humor that is appropriate, and knowing how to tailor my humor has been one of my most valuable personal developments. 4. Experience, goal and why choose this career goal After earning my graduate degree, I would like to pursue a career in the finance and economics industry. My long-term goal after pursuing my studies is to become Indonesia`s minister of finance. I will use the knowledge I gain from the program to help the country regain its economical power and stability as it was during president Soeharto`s regime when the economy was strong, unemployment was low and the nation maintained good trade relations with other countries. I believe that the exposure will equip me with strong financial skills and excellent learning experience in the United States. I will use the skills and experience to offer guidance to my country and to bring Indonesia back to its pre-1998 economy, thereby saving countless people from poverty. Ever since I was a child, I have always been exposed to the business. Both my parents are successful entrepreneurs having studied business in college. Although am on the right track in an effort to secure my country`s economy, I am changing fields to focus on finance and economy rather than a generalized business approach. I do not have an experience that will enable me effectively revive the economy of Indonesia hence the value of the course to me. I have solid experiences in business that I believe will be helpful tome while pursuing the course. In 2008, I helped my sister to set up a clothing shop, which is now doing excellent. We started a small boutique with my sister as the designer and located in a strategic place the Tropical Island of Bali, we started designing and producing souvenir T-shirts and beach dresses. The business picked up well and we began supplying several villas and hotels in Bali and also to souvenir shops at the Airport. In another incidence in 2009 my parents required me to give a helping hand in the pre-opening process of two new Juice & Smoothies Bars franchise in Bali Islands, Indonesia. I was to take charge of the operations of the stores during their first 8 months of existence. The intend was to provide me with firsthand experience and opportunity to learn and understand the business operation, from the preparation process up to the launching and grand opening, and the daily operations thereafter. I am recounting thee two experiences to demonstrate my great talent in business. I have always been interested in studying microeconomics. In 1997 when I was only seven years old, the Asian financial crisis occurred. In order to remain safe, my family and me sought refuge I Australia where we stayed for six months. It was during the same period that I was required to attend college. I enrolled for a business course and it was during this time that I discovered my intense desire in macroeconomics. I was fascinated by the exposure to the study about the economy of various nations and the entire globe. I was intrigued by the fact that economics required the same thought and analysis as mathematics, yet it did not have absolute answers. I conducted an extensive research on the program that would best prepare me for a future career in macroeconomics and finance. I chose a major in Banking and finance and a minor in Economics and I would like to pursue my career in your reputable institution.