Personal Statement

Kyla Yang

Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced
others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.
In all of my high school years, I have been playing soccer for my school. Except for my junior
year because I decided to focus on my education more. However, even though I didn't play
soccer in my junior year, I still kept in touch with the soccer girls and the coach. It was the
middle of the season when my coach approached me during class. He said that he would like for
me to come by to their soccer practice after school and train their goalie because they did not
have the time to have any trainings with the goalie. He thought it was a good idea from me to go
out there and help their goalie since I had more experience as a goalie. I agreed and told him that
I would come by after school
Once school ended, I came to their soccer practice and watch them for a while before I
approached their goalie. As time went by, I started off the first day as just getting to know each
other and giving her some advices and answering some of her concerns. I remember the first
advice that I told her was she needs to some other types of footwork in her warm up and not just
one footwork drill because it does not help her as much is hse repeats everything. I
recommended some other drills that could help her more and to help her warm up better for her
games. She took my advice and changed her warm up drill.
During practice I gave her some advices as what goalies should always do. Such as,
communicating with her defense, always be confident during her games, watch where she
positioned herself in the goalbox, and ect. Afterwards, I heard some feedback from the other
players prasing how much their goalie has improved. From this experience, I learned that sharing
your knowledge to someone can benefit them as well to yourself because knowing that I had
helped someone improve is one of the greatest feelings I have ever felt.
My greatest talent would be being a fast learner. Whenever someone teaches me how to do
something I would get it first hand. I was always getting praised by my parents, coaches, and
friends for always learning things really quick. There was a time where my coach was trying to
teach me how to punt soccer ball by making sure my leg that kicks the ball is even with my hip.
What it does, is that it makes the ball that I kick is more of a direct pass in the air. It took a few
kicks before I started hitting the ball correctly. In the end, I learned how to punt a ball in a
different way then how I usually punt it. Moreover, after soccer practice my step-dad asked me
how was practice and I said that I learned a different way of how to punt a soccer ball and
learned it pretty quick and that made my coach happy that I learned it pretty quick. My step-dad
was happy and proud that I learned something new at practice and told me that I was a fast
learner which not a lot of people are good at. It usually takes time for people to learn how to do
things that they want to learn.
​What would you say is your greatest talent or skill? How have you developed and demonstrated
that talent over time?
My greatest talent would be being a fast learner. Whenever someone teaches me how to do
something I would get it first hand. I was always getting praised by my parents, coaches, and
friends for always learning things really quick. There was a time where my coach was trying to
teach me how to punt soccer ball by making sure my leg that kicks the ball is even with my hip.
What it does, is that it makes the ball that I kick is more of a direct pass in the air. It took a few
kicks before I started hitting the ball correctly. In the end, I learned how to punt a ball in a
different way then how I usually punt it. Moreover, after soccer practice my step-dad asked me
how was practice and I said that I learned a different way of how to punt a soccer ball and
learned it pretty quick and that made my coach happy that I learned it pretty quick. My step-dad
was happy and proud that I learned something new at practice and told me that I was a fast
learner which not a lot of people are good at. It usually takes time for people to learn how to do
things that they want to learn.
​Another time was when I was with my friend, we were dancing to some K-POP songs and she
was teaching me the moves of the song. While she was teaching me, she said a comment to me, "
Wow your a fast learner unlike the others here it takes time for them to get the moves right." I
felt so happy when she told me that because I do not dance. Being able to learn things quick is a
great benefit to me because I can process even further to expand my knowledge. However, the
types of things that I learn have to be interesting to me, if it is not then it depends on how the
person is teaching me or how the way I understand it.

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced and the steps you have taken to overcome
this challenge. How has this challenge affected your academic achievement?
Last year, in my AVID class my teacher decided that we need to take an AP class in order to be
able to be in AVID. So all of the AVID students were put into AP English Composition
class.When I first heard about this, I wanted to leave AVID because I did not want to take any
AP classes during my high school year. I wanted to focus all of my high school credits first.After
talking with a lot of friends and my sister and mother, some told me that if I was not comfortable
with the class then I should drop out. However, some of my friends, my sister and my mother
told me that I should stay in AVID and try the AP class because the both will benefit me in
college and try the AP class out first before I make a decision. Therefore, I decided to take the
class in the end.

At the beginning of school, the class was starting to get hard because we had to learn to analyze
the prompt about a book and correctly how to response to the prompt, knowing me I am not a
very good writer or analyzer. I make a lot of mistakes in my writing and understanding the
prompt. I remember I almost dropped out of AP English Composition class just because I was
scared of failing the class with the way how I wrote my first essay. My first score was a four out
of nine and that really dropped my motivation to try hard in the class. However, I started
thinking positive about the class and stayed in it. As months went by, I learned to analyze stories,
books, or summaries better and writing better than I use to. I got better at it which made me
really happy. I also learned about different types of essays such as rhetorical, synthesis,
argument, and etc. I do not regret staying in my AP English Composition class, it was one of the
most best decisions in my life that I made.
Beyond what has already been shared in your application, what do you believe makes you stand
out as a strong candidate for admissions to the University of California?
Everyone has their weaknesses and strengths in academics. They also have different ways of
showing how they are a hard working student. Not everyone is the same. a true fact about me is
that I know that I like to take my time in doing my work. I don't like to rush to do my
assignments or projects. Even though I like to take my time in my work, I still turn them in on
time. I complete every assignment that is given to me and if a classmate of mine need help I will
help them. Why? Well that's because I would want them to do the same thing to me as well if I
am absent one day. However, though I may like to take my time to do my assignments and
projects and turning them in on time. I do not do well with my tests, they are my absolute
weakness in academics. In all of my high school year, I probably scored more low scores on my
tests than scoring high scores. This could effect my opportunity to attend to college, even so I
will still do my best to get better scores on the tests and still maintain good grades in my classes.
To answer your question, what do you believe makes you stand out as a strong candidate for
admissions to the University of California? In my opinion, no matter what the outcomes are, I
will never give up my failures. I will do whatever it takes to fix my failures and put my best
effort to make improvement in my weaknesses. I plan on taking the SAT and ACT again to get
better scores. I also will keep on doing everything that I need to do in class to maintain good
grades and to be even more of a better student.