I plan to pursue a degree in business and global affairs at Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. 

Ms. Gately’s Honors World History class challenged me the most. Freshman year was my first year studying abroad in the United States. It was a challenge to adjust to learning in English, not to mention writing my first research paper in my second language. I remember that after every assessment and writing assignment, Ms. Gately always sat down with me to discuss questions I answered incorrectly or ways to convey my message more effectively in writing. Although the workload of that class was heavy, it improved my writing significantly and prepared me well for future classes like AP US History and AP Literature. 

I speak Mandarin, English, French, some Japanese, and a little bit of Arabic. I also grew up speaking the dialect Shanghainese in my household, which I consider as almost a whole different language from Chinese.

Thayer never failed to provide opportunities and resources tailored to whatever passions I had as a student there. In my junior year, I took an elective called Independent Science Research (ISR) with the expectation of doing something entirely STEM-based. However, I ended up working at a speech pathology lab at Mass General Hospital to research developmental language disorder (DLD), which combined my interest in both linguistics and science. The ISR program has so much flexibility and really gives you the freedom to explore all the amazing opportunities in and around Boston.

I couldn’t be more grateful for all the help and support I’ve received from my college counselor Ms. Woods. From narrowing down my unbelievably long school list to easing my application season anxiety to performing a thorough editing of what I had down on the page before I pressed the “submit” button, Ms. Woods helped to make the process much easier and a lot less stressful! 

It’s hard to name one favorite meal because the Thayer dining staff does such a great job with introducing new and culturally diverse dishes, and they never disappoint! If I have to pick, shepherd's pie, cheese steak, and apple pie are my top three favorites. I will most definitely miss Thayer’s food when I go to college.

In addition to improving my flexibility and time management skills, I also used this time to develop my passions and explore new areas. For instance, my senior project focused on Japanese language and culture. Every day, I self-studied with online materials and textbooks. I also had the opportunity to connect with Ms. Yumi Powers, Ms. Smith’s aunt, three times per week to talk about Japanese culture and traditions. It was such a rewarding experience and helped me to make up my mind to pursue Japanese as a minor in college.