The University of Texas Pan-American, Admission Essay Example

The worlds of competitive dance and animal rescue may seem entirely unrelated, however, as a student and a volunteer I’ve learned that they have much more in common than one might initially believe.  Both have taught me the value of compassion, hard work, and dedication, attributes which I intend to utilize as a student of the College of Agriculture.  The relationship between humans and animals is an integral part of our everyday lives, from the food that we consume to the friendships that we build with our animal companions.  As such, the Animal Science and College of Education/Human Development programs will provide me with the strong academic and practical background necessary to become a successful professional in the field.

While a student at the University of Texas Pan-American, I majored in Dance Education with a minor in History.  This work has helped me to develop skills in the areas of creativity, leadership, and physical fitness.  As a student at UTPA, I learned to appreciate the strength of the human body and its ability to continually be pushed to new levels of endurance.  I also learned a great deal about emotional endurance on the part of both humans and animals while working as a volunteer at the Humane Society.  This work exposed me to both the best and worst of human behavior, as I had the opportunity to work with numerous abused animals.  I was continually amazed at their ability to receive and return love and affection, despite having been incredibly neglected and abused.  My fellow volunteers and the people who adopted animals from our center demonstrated the lengths that people will go to in order to express kindness and compassion to animals.

My experience caring for mistreated animals taught me that all creatures deserve respect and compassion, whether they are livestock intended to become part of our food supply or companion animals who have been abused by their owners.  It is my intention, as a student at the College of Agriculture, to widen my appreciation for all animals and my understanding of the various ways in which animals help us to function as a society.  I believe that through my successful completion of the program I will be able to apply both the science and ethics of animal science in whatever specific area of the field I choose.