Send Me To KU!
Hello!
To those of you who aren't familiar with me and my family, and of course to those who are, thank you for taking the time to read this and consider helping with my college education!
Specifically for those unfamiliar with me: Hi! I'm McKala Hanes and it's a pleasure and an honor to share my story with y'all! I'm 17 years old and will be 18 this coming October 9th; I've always liked that I have the same birthday as John Lennon. Currently, I live in the small town of Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina, and have for the majority of my life. But it is time to move toward the next chapter in my life!
On May 22nd, 2015, I graduated from Brunswick County Early College High with honors, with an Associates' of Arts degree, and with a North Carolina Academic Scholar seal on my diploma. I was active in several extracurricular activies throughout high school; I was active in the glee club and show choir, secretary of the BCECHS chapter of National Honor Society, vice president of my class, and a charter member of the school's first ever Quill and Quiz Bowl teams. I've volunteered since September 2012 at VFW Post 10400 washing dishes during Friday night dinners, and I've been active in the Coastal Community Church of The Nazarene youth group since sixth grade.
I plan to attend the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas starting this fall. I chose this school for many reasons, and on my application, I meant it when my response to What made you want to apply to KU ? was, 'Can I say everything?'
Here are some of the reasons I chose this particular school: I wanted to go out of state, I've always wanted this; out-of-state tuition was reasonable in comparison to other schools I looked at, standing at approximately $36,000/year and locked at that price for the duration of my undergrad studies; KU's reputation, I knew I had a chance at getting in but the look on my face when I got the big envelope!; the fact that 45+ languages are taught on campus; both of the majors I was interested in are offered (Polisci and Global & International Studies); the small-ish city location, a perfect middle step between a small southern town and potentially living around DC in the future; and let's have a heart-to-heart moment here, I live by the beach in a southern state and I've never thrown a snowball, so I'm low-key excited about cold Kansas winters and snow! By low-key excited? I mean probably a little too excited.
Admittedly, the languages bit was the first thing to catch my eye. Take a look at my most recent iTunes purchases, and you'll find three songs in Mandarin, two in Korean, three in Spanish, and one in Hindi. Browse through my music library and you'll find all of these languages and more including Arabic, Italian, Romanian, Afrikaans, Lao, the list goes on and on. If reading and writing are my first loves, language is the second.
The VFW Post 10400 has graciously awarded me with a $500 scholarship that they surprised my father, a 20-year Navy Veteran (1976-1996, USS Stark, Stark Incident 1987, Desert Storm Desert Sheild), with which was both a huge surprise and a great honor to me. After recieving fifty-two (and counting, it seems) scholarship rejection e-mails and altogether not hearing back on many others, the VFW scholarship was not only an amazing gift, but it was the pick-me-up I needed after my many rejection e-mails. That's $500 that I didn't have before! I'm that much closer to earning my degree!
As the oldest child in my home, I'll be the first of my siblings to attend and graduate from university, and the first in my family altogether. My mom, when I was in third grade, my little sister in first, my little brother enrolled in daycare, and my dad on the road working for cell phone tower companies,went back to school at Cape Fear Community College and earned an Associates' in Radiologic Technology and now works at an orthopaedic office.
The University of Kansas is my absolute dream school, and my parents have always stressed the importance of having to love your college, but the one negative is that college is wicked expensive. I truly believe that attending KU will help me to achieve my ultimate dream of working for The State Department, and my so-far first choice first career of teaching English abroad. Seeing as anybody's chances of getting hired onto the State Department right out of college must be incredibly slim, why not not gain international experience first, get some language-immersion under my belt,and explore another passion of mine while still working first? I've had these plans set since late 2012, I felt like I'd finally nailed down what I really wanted to do. Regardless of whether or not this exact path is followed, I know that my life will take me in the direction of international something. Politics? Business? Relations? Maybe I'll love teaching too much to do anything else? And maybe I'll help translate books into another language - the possibilities are endless and that is what excites me.
I have two younger siblings; a sister who is expected to begin her university journey as I'm ending my undergrad studies, and a special needs little brother who will certainly call me for weekly dinosaur lectures!
I would be both honored and humbled if even a small amount of money is donated to help fund my studies. I've set the goal at not even a sizeable portion of what I'll need because even a small bit helps. The VFW's gracious award has already alleviated a financial burden on my family. Every bit of money recieved will go to tuition costs, room & board, my meal plan, money to put on my KU card for laundry, travel costs (planes, trains, buses, gas money), books, and any left over money will be put in a savings account meant to start paying off any loans I may accrue as soon as I can.
As a college student in the 21st century, I'm well aware that student loans are in the future. My goal here is to minimize my debt, alleviate afinancial burden on my family, and acquire the financial means to attend this fantastic school.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter,
McKala Hanes