Endings & Beginnings

A short reflection I wrote on why I decided to attend SYA.

The close of sophomore year marked the completion of my eleventh consecutive year at Head-Royce School. I have been at the same school since my 11-year old sister has been alive. I have known some of my classmates for over a decade. I am one in a class of eighty-seven; although I have great friends, suffice it to say that I enjoy meeting new people.

The close of sophomore year also marked my sixteenth consecutive year of living in the Bay Area. After sixteen years, there are few places I can go in Oakland or San Francisco without running into someone I know.

The close of sophomore year also marked my fifth consecutive year studying the Chinese language. Although my grandmother emigrated from Taiwan, she did not teach Taiwanese to my mother for fear of preventing her from learning English. I grew up with English as my first and only language’ I hope to soon be able to call Chinese my second.

The close of sophomore year marked the end of my courses on the histories of Russia, China, and India. Among countries with great histories, few compare to those three, and China in particular stands out– a country whose philosophies have influenced its direction deeply from ancient times to the present. China without her traditions would no longer be China,. For me, China’s culture and traditions are endlessly fascinating; I hope to study them even more avidly at SYA and in the future.

Some things did not change with the close of my sophomore year. I have always loved new places, new things, and new people. I have always wished to be bilingual. I did not have the fortune to speak two languages during my childhood; therefore, I have to learn new languages by studying them. Chinese culture interests me to no end, and China herself is a rising world power. SYA China gives me an opportunity to gain multitudinous new experiences, among them language immersion and daily life in a culture steeped in history. For the first time in eleven years, I’ll be attending a new school in a new city; I sincerely hope that I’ll be able to say after that the beginning of junior year marked the advent of the best year of my life.