College Admissions Essay: Internship In The US

Growing up as a naturalized Chinese-American has greatly shaped my personality, interests, and motivations. My parents, who fled rural China in search of a better life, never completed high school. This meant that I did not have the luxury of the guidance offered by most parents, so I became adamant to succeed where my parents had not; I became independent from an early age with a strong belief that hard-work and perseverance equate success. At one point during high school I began having trouble reconciling the Chinese values and norms I was raised under with the American culture I grew up in. Eventually, I realized that there is no monolithic American culture and that even mainstream America is constantly being contested and changed.
In my interactions with numerous scholars at college, I observed that there was a large disconnect between how Americans and Chinese people view certain issues. I realized with China’s growing global presence, individuals who understand the perspectives of both countries would be in a unique position to promote relations. Over the course of four years, I gained better insight into international relations as well as U.S.’ unique position in the global community. Over a semester in Washington, D.C. I wrote a junior thesis on the disparate impact of economic development on China’s various ethnic populations. In addition, a semester Peking University in China completed my holistic international education through direct interactions with Chinese professors and students. These undergraduate experiences culminated into a senior independent research project on China’s national interests in the South China Sea dispute and consequences it has on U.S. national security interests. At the same time, I interned for the Hudson Institute’s Center for Political-Military Analysis. As an intern I contributed to white papers on China-East Asian countries relations that were used to White House officials during a major rise in tension in the South China Sea