I was born on November 8th, 1994 in Boston, Massachusetts. My parents are both immigrants from China and I have two older half-siblings named Judy and Albert. My parents and I lived in Charlestown all my life and we stayed in the same apartment for fifteen years. Up until the seventh grade, I went to school in Charlestown including Harvard-Kent Elementary School and Edwards Middle School. This past May, I graduated from Boston Latin School and I will be entering Boston College in the fall.
My favorite subject in high school was history and I especially loved my American History and American Government and Politics classes. In those classes, I learn about events and information that happened in the past that I was not aware of before. I like being educated about the past as it relates to the present because it is exciting to read and discuss about topics from multiple perspectives and to look at the subject from political, social, and economical angles. I believe that understanding the past errors can help us avoid them in the future.
I also adored my art classes because I am given a lot of liberty to express my creativity and to experiment with different kinds of mediums. Learning in art class is very hands on and the environment of the class is energetic and exploratory. My favorite mediums are charcoal and watercolor because they are the easiest to use for me. I also enjoy admiring the techniques of the artists and wondering how they accomplished their pieces.
I like to keep myself busy and productive. After school I tutored in my neighborhood library where I assisted children in kindergarten through eighth grade with their homework assignments, reading, and craft activities. Similarly, I tutored in Tufts Medical Center where I helped Chinese-speaking students with their English reading and writing comprehension. Kids are delightful to work with because they can be so innocent yet cheeky. Before my Ward Fellow position in the Attorney General’s office, I was the Charlestown Representative of the Mayor’s Youth Council and I interned one summer in the Boston Housing Authority’s office.
I applied for the Ward Fellowship because I wanted to experience firsthand and learn more about the roles of government in the daily lives of the citizens. Public service is an admirable profession and I want to be involved with those who dedicate their time in helping others who may lack a voice in the government. The sponsors and speakers that we have met so far are some commendable people.
Next year I will be attending Boston College as a nursing major. In my previous summer, I worked as an intern in the Mother Infant Unit at Tufts Medical Center and there I shadowed nurses who seemed to genuinely love their jobs. I decided to be a nursing student even though I had an equally strong interest in government and policies because I want to help patients first hand and I am especially interested in the human body and how the different organ systems work together to help humans function. I found that every day is very exciting and demanding for the nurses with many opportunities to nurture and communicate with patients while better understanding people in general. In the future, I hope to have a rewarding job where I can help people and promote better health. I would like to try studying nursing first and see where that will lead me.
Although I am unsure about my future, I know that I would love for my job to benefit others and to be a passion to me. After meeting with former Ward Fellows, Adrian and Ernani, I realized that I do not need to have my life planned out because there are many opportunities out there that I can try out that may be useful for the future, for example the experience from my Ward Fellowship.