My Application Letter (Sanaa)
Recently, I wrote an application letter regarding my passion for entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship is an outlet that positively impacts my mental health, and I wanted to share my current road to learning more about different roles within this field with an application letter I wrote for a summer entrepreneurship program:
I grew up exposed to my father's occupation as a marketing manager and my mom's position as a bank's branch manager. And within an environment where financial concerns were at the forefront of many familial complications, financial needs and circumstances became embedded in my being. As my parents became more successful in their respective careers, I felt an unaddressed loyalty to their professions and the benefits their careers have granted me.
Naturally, I developed an interest in the financial world as it was an integral part of my personal life, making me more compatible with the extracurriculars I picked up throughout my high school life. From participating in DECA to being part of the leadership team within my school's stock market club–I've found many outlets to explore more monetary positions. Yet, my affinity with these activities never corresponded to their association with the financial aspects. Comparatively, I was thrilled to understand how to devise, organize, and run a club.
When I applied for the Junior Board Member position of a national nonprofit, I was still hesitant about the idea that I preferred the creator position over recording an industry's financial output. Regardless of my previous beliefs, this internship changed my perspective on the future I envisioned for myself. Social entrepreneurship became progressively more attractive as I contributed to an administration that supported thousands of under-served children with education. The gradual attachment I grew to social entrepreneurship was one of the motivating factors when I applied for another internship position with an international (but American-centric) non-profit, Letters Against Depression. Within this organization, I am currently learning and experiencing how a rapidly growing nonprofit can handle the amount of attention by improving its website, conducting more thorough data analytics, etc. The more effort I spend on building a nonprofit, my urge to learn how to do the same cultivates.
When reflecting on my household's role in my interest in entrepreneurship, I've realized that my parents displayed leadership qualities only seen within those desperate to supply the best they can for their children to advance in their careers. My mother's initiative to grow on the corporate ladder and my dad's recent decision to start a small business has made me aware that my family's affairs are a dominant reason for my inclinations. They chose to embark on a career path for a cause most personal to themselves: family.
Ergo, with the program providing access to endless resources to enhance my knowledge of social entrepreneurship, I will build upon my past connections with the financial unease my family held, present affiliations with nonprofits, and future aspirations to become an innovative social entrepreneur.
This application demonstrated my process and purpose within my mental health journey. However, to expand more on to the aftereffects and the influence this process had on my mental health- I initially had trouble telling others if I needed help or if I was struggling. Instead, I kept everything to myself when what I needed was somewhere or something to serve as an outlet. After joining various extracurriculars, one of which being LAD, I’ve found a way to convert my stresses into passions. Although subjective to my experience, I found that the anxiety and hesitance I’ve felt towards public speaking or participating in activities outside of school have diminished greatly after I took the step to participate more in various clubs and organizations. Each effort I make to better myself leaves a lasting impression on my fears- and I will continue to challenge my comforts.
If you are feeling down and need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at Letters Against Depression if you haven’t already. We send letters of hope and support to those who need someone there for them. You can request to receive letters here.