Fascinated by the open curriculum and diverse student body at Brown University, I did not have to go too far to find my next adventure. During my time at university, my diverse academic and extracurricular interests led me to take classes within a range of departments, and ultimately led me to double major in Business, Entrepreneurship, and Organizations (BEO) alongside East Asian Studies with a focus on China. Through this time, I made friends from around the world and got to learn more about countries in East and South East Asia. Passionate about this learning, I advocated for increased academic representation for these regions through taking leadership positions in organizations such as the Southeast Asian Studies Initiative (SEASI). However, one thing I did not expect was that the COVID-19 pandemic would prevent me from fulfilling my dream of studying abroad while in college. I had originally planned on returning to China while at university for language study, but hearing the summer program I had applied to my Sophomore year would now be virtual, I thought my chance of studying Mandarin abroad had disappeared. That is until I heard about Fulbright. I am so grateful to not only be able to travel to somewhere I have never been before, but also to continue my language study while advocating for kids to learn foreign languages in Taiwan.
I even ended up incorporating Taiwan’s night markets into my senior capstone project for East Asian Studies! Looking forward, I hope to incorporate traveling and language study into my future career and continue to advocate for similar educational opportunities for kids like me who otherwise would not have the chance to learn about the other side of the world.
