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Rădăcina unei inspirații (Root of one of my inspirations)

Supplemental PowerPoint for the MIT Sloan School of Management Application

by Laura Simion

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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed,

it's the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

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Mierlești, Romania (1992)

• Me (front):• Given the opportunity to move to the

U.S. as a teenager, by winning the visa lottery

• Received undergraduate degree from a highly ranked liberal arts college

• Onica (rear):• Childhood friend• Never left Romania• Never finished middle school

• My memories with her were part of my inspiration to help others who never had the opportunity to pursue an education

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Ways I Have Given Back

• Helped raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

• Mentored inner city students

• Spent time in South Africa with students from Soweto through my high school’s pilot cultural immersion program

• Created a pen-pal program through Amnesty International between high school students in the U.S. and Ethiopia, that opened a unique window for both groups

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My “Second Job”: She’s the First

• Volunteered to launch and co-lead a team that sponsored one year of education of over 100 girls in 10 developing countries

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She’s the First – MIT Campus Chapter

Benefits participants would receive:• Opportunities to lead campaigns and collaborate with other campus chapters• Partnership with a national and highly-regarded non-profit organization• Participate in nation-wide campaigns under Tammy Tibbetts’ stewardship, the CEO who has been

recognized as one of Forbes' 30 Under 30 in Education• Deepen their understanding of global issues by connecting with the students their fundraising

campaigns are sponsoring

• Goal: inspire the student body at MIT and help them start a She’s the First campus chapter while acting as their advisor

• She’s the First currently partners with 83 undergraduate programs and high schools across the country