Angela YingSloan Candidate ‘17 Optional Essay

When I was a teenager, competition defined my life.

I had to be at top. Of everything.

For a while, this worked.

I became valedictorian of my high school

And I got accepted the school every Asian immigrant parent aspires their children to:

Harvard

But at Harvard, I was no longer a big fish in a little pond, but a little fish in the middle of a giant ocean. It was futile to compete.

I had to rethink my life philosophy and discover what I really wanted.

Extracurriculars helped me find myself.

Over the 4 years, I served on the board of a lot of clubs and president of 2:

The one that inspired me the most wasAn Evening with Champions,a charity figure skating show that features Olympic skaters, donating 100% proceeds to the Jimmy Fund

I served as a volunteer (2005), public relations director (2006), co-chair of the show (2007), and board coordinator (2008)

I learned so much over those years How to talk to total strangers and ask for donations How to organize a large-scale event How to deal with difficult people

And most importantly,How to lead a team to success

In 2007, we raised $80,000, double the previous year’s donation

We saw increased corporate donations, in-kind donations, individual donations, and silent auction donations.

In short, we worked together and achieved success as a team.

Plus, I got to skate in the show alongside my favorite skaters!

I learned that to solve real-world problems,you have to work together as a team.

The only person you are competing against is yourself

That is that attitude I’ve carried ever since.

And with it, I have achieved new heights.

Thank you for your time!