Tell us about a time when you faced an ethical dilemma at work or school. What was the situation and how did you handle it?

Situation

During a group project in college, I discovered that a teammate plagiarized a substantial part of our research paper from an online source without proper citation, and he asked me to keep quiet so we could all get a good grade.

Task

I had to decide whether to ignore it and benefit from the dishonest work, or to address it even though it might lower our grade and upset my friends.

Action

I talked to the teammate privately first, explaining why plagiarism was wrong and how it could affect all of us if discovered, including possible expulsion. I offered to help him rewrite the section correctly with proper citations if we could still meet the deadline. When he refused, I informed our professor, providing evidence of the original source. I also helped the rest of the group revise the paper quickly to remove the plagiarized parts.

Result

The professor appreciated our honesty and gave the group a chance to resubmit. We received a slightly lower grade, but it was earned fairly. The teammate eventually understood the seriousness, and I felt I upheld my integrity.