Angela Ying's Sloan optional essay

1. Angela Ying
Sloan Candidate ‘17
Optional Essay

2. When I was a teenager, competition
defined my life.
I had to be at top. Of everything.

3. 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

4. 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.

5. Extracurriculars helped me find myself.
Over the 4 years, I served on the board of a lot
of clubs and president of 2:

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

7. 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

8. 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!

9. 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

10. That is that attitude I’ve carried ever since.
And with it, I have achieved new heights.

11. Thank you for your time!