María Cristina Vélez Barriga



My unique personality trait




















In the year following my highschool graduation, a challenging transition into adulthood, I had to take crucial decisions about my future that, without realising it, allowed me to understand my unique personality trait: my curious young mind. After a lot of thinking I decided to take a gap year. During this time, I focused on my personal growth and on clearly defining my goals and desires. However, it was a difficult process because of the comparisons I made with my age peers. Watching others start college, move to other countries and embark on different adventures, while I remained in the same place since I left school only four months ago, made me feel useless and not very self-sufficient.

In that process, without realising it, I began to be overly critical of myself, which turned out to be unfair because, although I was not following the same path as others, I was engaged in my own journey. I was reading new books, taking courses and expanding my mind. My youthful curiosity was working in the background, allowing me to learn and grow in different ways. I learned that my journey is unique and that there is no predetermined path to success. Through these experiences, I was able to stop being so hard on myself and appreciate the value of my own personal development process.

I didn't feel at all like I was wasting my days by not pursuing a college degree during that time, since being a young person allowed me to have a lot of extra time to learn an endless amount of different things. In this gap year my eagerness to learn was reflected in the way I used my free time (which was quite a lot of it) in a more productive way. Instead of spending some time lying in bed watching movies or series which did not favour my personal development, I decided to make a positive change in my life. I started investing my spare time in exploring my interests. This new approach has given me a better understanding of what I really like and fills me with motivation to learn and grow. I took courses that are not connected in any way: Portuguese, two digital design courses, computer programming and an upcoming one of graphic design. However, the only common aspect that I find is my desire to keep on learning.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that my curious young mind makes me a person compatible with the IEU community as this university is innovative and in search of students who grow with the university, where both the students and the institution can prosper from their achievements and efforts. This trait has driven me to explore new ideas, seek out knowledge and engage in a wider range of intellectual pursuits. My inquiring mind not only has helped me in the academic setting but also in my personal growth since I am curious about how my spirit and personality is going to evolve positively in the future. By this I am interested in challenging myself to find new things that are difficult for me to overcome and if I can't, to find a new way to get there. I have always thought that in order to achieve anything, you have to be in constant evolution so that you can see what you are capable of. My unique personality trait will make me a valuable member of the IEU community by furthering my pursuit of knowledge, encouraging innovation, and fostering a culture of intellectual curiosity and collaboration. I am excited about the possibility of joining the IEU community and contributing to its academic mission.