World Differences

ESSAY

In the last year of secondary school I had an eye opening and life changing experience. A girl organizing a party for her dog’s birthday –unusual in our culture- did distribute invitationsin the classroom. However, she openly ignored to a few peasant children. Discretely, I asked why she didn’t invite everybody. Because of her unfriendly racially motivated comments and obviousdisrespect for peasants, I was very disappointed and frustrated. I did not go to the party, and decided I wanted to do something to change it in any way I could this types of behavior.

My private school inthe hearth of the Peruvian Andes was built by an international mining corporation for the children of their employees and those of the school’s Faculty. I observed how some students coming from otherregions of the country act arrogantly with peasant children who join the school through scholarships given by the mine. These children isolate themselves from the mainstream, socializing and playingtogether. Although there are positive changes, developing countries need to improve education, and minimize social differences by improving the quality of life of its people, especially the poorest.Mario Vargas Llosa points out in his Prize Nobel The Dreams of a Celt, the exploitation of indigenous people of Peru during the rubber boom. Abuse of indigenous people and irrational exploitation ofnatural resources can still be seen in Latin America, by the local governments, modern corporations, and even international trade. My studies of History, my school experiences, my observations ofconflicts of rural communities with the mines, and the agricultural trade practices in this region have deeply impacted me. Now, I am determined to study a career that will prepare me to work promotingand negotiating better social living standards for indigenous people through better practices in international business and trade.

I am looking forward to the opportunity of studying at Princeton...