Business

Drawing inspiration from Thomas Edison, a man who had never given up in his pursuit of knowledge and the eventual landmark discovery of the electric bulb, I have learnt the importance of perseverance and persistence. Thomas Edison had belief in himself and he was an inventor who endured all failures in his attempt to develop the bulb. He was optimistic and never gave up and looked at his failed attempts as a positive step towards the realization of his dream. My unique personal experience in adapting to a new cultural setting from what I had been brought up has actually revolutionized the way I look at things. Long before I set foot on the US soil, I took no interest in taking participative approaches to issues but this was to change after numerous attempts when the world opened up an opportunity to study in the land of opportunity as an international student (Beals, 1999).

Thomas inspiration
Thomas Edison is famous for his words that even if he was to fail to find a solution to a problem for ten thousand times, he has not failed. To him, he took every wrong attempt as a positive step towards overcoming the challenge. In China, students are generally passive and I found it difficult participating in class work in the US. The Chinese model entails that the students accomplish their tasks on their own and aspire to get good results. I was cultured in a manner that I never imagined taking part in a discussion with my peers in class, assuming any position in a club-cum society, or actively participating in any given activity. Looking at the fellow students raise their hands eager to participate in class work seemed strange to me. In the US, active participation by the students in class work is the order of the day and I looked as if I was out of place (Webika Ltd, 2010).

However, since the new look society was attaching participation in any activity that was being undertaken I had to adapt amid difficulties in embracing the new culture. With persistence, I found myself at home with actively being involved in activities assigned by our tutors and I discovered what I had been missing all these days. I took imitative in taking part in class discussions and debates and this prompted the need to get more involved actively in most of the activities within the campus.

I thought to myself that now I could do more if only I exploited the opportunities out there. In the year 2009, I went for an elective position winning the Vice-presidency post for the International Students club in our campus. The purpose of this club is mainly to share and learn about different cultures from which members have come from. I believe that I did my best while in office beyond the expectations of many. I shared my experiences with the members and also gained from the others experiences and I believe that I am a role model to others in the club and the campus as a whole.

Conclusion
My experience has shown that if you feel that you have got the ability to do something then do not hesitate. Take an initiative and you will definitely succeed despite some failures here and there. The most important thing is that never get discouraged from the simple failures you might experience at the start of your mission, instead learn something from the mistakes as you soldier on towards your success. Above all, I have learnt that through participation, one is destined to learn more from the experiences of the others as well as opening up to mentor others. Whenever, there is an opportunity, get actively involved and do not just take a passive look at things.