Hello,
I am Simon Ayalew and I was born in a small town called Sebeta in Ethiopia. I moved to Santa Barbara, CA at the age of twelve. I then completed my high school education at San Marcos Senior High in conjunction with a dual enrollment program at Santa Barbara City College. Because of this, I was able to graduate with a 4.6 GPA and in the 97th percentile of my graduating class. Following High School, I was accepted as a Direct Admit to the Lundquist School of Business at University of Oregon where I studied finance, computer science, and music.
My upbringing serves as a source of pride for me because it gave me a rare opportunity to see the world apart from the bubble I was raised in. Being fully immersed in opposing cultures has allowed me to develop the ability to consider situations from multiple perspectives. It was not very long ago I was living in a house made made of mud and straw. I can still vividly recall a time when going to the library was a big treat and tinkering with broken electronics was my entertainment. Now I sit in Santa Barbara with that same excitement and hunger to learn new skills in pursuit of the life my parents dreamed for me.
My goal in life is to become the most well rounded person I can be so that I can bring opportunities back to Ethiopia and open bigger doors for the peers I grew up with. Although I feel very lucky to be in the position I am in, I also feel a great sense of responsibility to take care of those that helped me get here.
My upbringing serves as a source of pride for me because it gave me a rare opportunity to see the world apart from the bubble I was raised in. Being fully immersed in opposing cultures has allowed me to develop the ability to consider situations from multiple perspectives. It was not very long ago I was living in a house made made of mud and straw. I can still vividly recall a time when going to the library was a big treat and tinkering with broken electronics was my entertainment. Now I sit in Santa Barbara with that same excitement and hunger to learn new skills in pursuit of the life my parents dreamed for me.
My goal in life is to become the most well rounded person I can be so that I can bring opportunities back to Ethiopia and open bigger doors for the peers I grew up with. Although I feel very lucky to be in the position I am in, I also feel a great sense of responsibility to take care of those that helped me get here.