Teaching MBA students at Hanyang University this year is considerably different than it has been in the past. I can recall one assignment last year in which all my students without exception charted explosive growth at their companies, and described their workplaces with exaggerated optimism. Students were thrilled when we would discuss investment strategies and successful business models. This year, however, my MBA students are reluctant to discuss their businesses altogether, and prefer to focus on personal growth in areas such as giving presentations, negotiating, and managing people groups. From my personal experience teaching MBA students, there seems to have been a shift from a business and finance-related focus to a more personal, character-building focus, due in part to the current global recession.

As my MBA students have demonstrated through their shift in attitude, what is essential in surviving the market’s lows and the economy’s woes is a resilient and persistent personal character. Negative outside influences have a great effect on our lives, but a solid personal character will enable us to surmount life’s difficulties against all odds. And this is where I excel. My character was shaped ever since the age of 13, when I was uprooted from my comfortable life in California and planted in Paris, France, where I didn’t know the language or culture, and had to relearn a whole new set of social customs and norms. Out the door went shaking hands, in the door came kissing strangers cheek-to-cheek as a basic greeting. Life as I knew it changed, and for the next six years, I learned to adapt to a new lifestyle. I learned to communicate with my peers in fluent French, and during this learning phase, I developed resilience and persistence that would stay with me the rest of my life.

In addition to a strong personal character, I believe I have certain skills that make me a strong candidate for the SSMBA program. I have a vested interest in Asia, and in particular, in Korean culture and language. My understanding of Korea and Koreans comes from having interacted with Koreans on a daily basis for over five years. I have often been able to bring a fresh perspective to Koreans as the Westerner, whether in helping create overseas business plans or in consulting on what would attract Westerners to certain locations. But also I have often gained a fresh perspective from Koreans on how business can be done differently back home. I hope to be able to integrate the skills and ideas learned from both the West and the East to come up with innovative solutions applicable to the business world.

I also possess two skills that have made me perceptive in investing in real estate and stocks, or in consulting with entrepreneurs in the development of their business plans. One is my ability to analyze issues in depth and construct logical inferences. The other is my ability to brainstorm innovative solutions to complex problems. Perhaps the medium which best demonstrates both my deductive logic and inductive intuition is my favorite hobby, chess. I have always enjoyed the thrill of a challenging game of chess for its pressure of having to analyze my opponent’s positions and speculate on his future moves, as well as for its pressure to find a creative solution to cunningly catch my opponent off guard. My goal is to refine these abilities and apply them effectively toward business.

A well-shaped personal character, a vested interest and understanding in the field, and an analytical and creative edge are among some of my most prominent abilities. I believe I am also a hard worker, have excellent social skills, and know how to carefully manage risk. These qualities make me eager to learn more and strengthen my desire to be professionally involved in a business career. I am fuelled with determination to gain insight, network, and challenge myself with today’s future global business leaders.