Nineteen.

The University of Chicago was mentioned exactly 19 times in the book New Ideas from Dead Economists. At the time, the only thing I knew about Economics was how supply and demand worked, but I understood the depth of the University of Chicago education while reading this book and studying Milton Friedman the summer before my junior year Economics AP class.

The University of Chicago quickly became more than the home of Friedman and his pen, an economic emblem. The first time I understood what it means to be a Chicago student was when I read an article describing the letter from various Chicago law professors to Governor Rauner regarding his decision to reject refugees from Syria.

At the time, I already knew my goal at my future college was both simple to understand and complicated to achieve: close the gap between Syrian refugees and college students through promoting understanding of the refugees' situations and how to improve them directly. My organization, Give A Hand, and my participation as an active member in already-established organizations, have inspired me to continue my work at UChicago in organizations such as the Partnership for the Advancement of Refugee Rights (PARR), which can provide leadership and experience to encourage the student body to become involved. The only way to solve this crisis is to insert refugees back into the economy and give them educational opportunities. After reading this letter, I was compelled to dig deeper into UChicago. By the end of that day, I knew that I could find the community of student leaders and academics who shared my passion at UChicago; I knew that I wanted Chicago to be my home for the next four years.

Through being a part of my school’s Philanthropy and Economics Councils, I saw the differences I could make to the community around my school. Through the University Community Service Center, UChicago not only gives me a chance to integrate social impact into my education but also to accomplish my career goals. In the future, I aim to study law and work in the nonprofit sector. The organization that I founded, the Give A Hand Organization, continues to grow, so my goal is to use my education to keep expanding this organization to impact the lives of more children. With the UChicago Careers in Public and Social Service program, I will be able to achieve this aim, whether it is through interning in the Peace Corps, taking classes in collaboration with the School of Social Service Administration, or pitching my ideas at the Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Competition. Furthermore, I would be humbled to be a part of the UChicago Rosenzweig Scholars Program, which would open up workshops and fellowships to further my goal of social justice.