Bold Talent Scholarship

I consider my greatest talent to be writing. Whether it's poetry or prose, writing is an emotional and creative outlet for me, as well as being an incredibly practical skill that I use on a nearly daily basis in my pursuit of an English degree. I began by writing free verse and short stories, winning contests and being published on a small scale in elementary and middle school. Since then, I have tried my hand in creative writing classes in both high school and college, and have excelled particularly in crafting short stories and novellas. I am partial to creative writing, as the process of world-building, character-molding, and plot-development appeals to my artistic sensibilities. However, I also am able to find joy in a well-crafted research paper, or an eloquently-stated thesis. Recently, I've begun to try my hand at writing and delivering speeches for my public speaking & rhetoric courses in college. I've written everything from original anecdotes intended for an informal setting, to a tribute speech for a retirement party, to an informative speech about conditions within Native American reservations intended to bring awareness to a social issue. To practice this skill of mine, I write every day without fail. I vary the way I write, as well. Sometimes my writing takes the shape of a term paper, sometimes a reflection on a piece of literature, and sometimes it takes the form of bad poetry to organize my thoughts. Either way, I am constantly developing this passion that I have. Thank you for your consideration.

My teacher once called me quad-lingual––fluent in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Spanish. While I still feel undeserving of this label, I would say it is my greatest talent. From a very young age, I became engulfed in the Chinese language. Raised by parents who are fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, Vietnamese, and its other Asian dialects, adopting these languages came fairly naturally to me. The more I spoke, language grew to be more than just a form of communication, but also a means to connect. Whether it was fluidly transitioning between languages in the midst of a sentence or substituting Chinese idioms and phrases into my vocabulary, my multilingual ability became an important part of my identity. The opportunity to share this characterizing aspect of my identity with peers came through my involvement in Program 3C in high school. As a mentor to English Learner students, my multilingual upbringing enabled me to reach across language barriers and engage in lunchtime conversations with foreign-born peers. Starting with questions about what the best part about living in El Salvador was or what the weather was like in Guangzhou Province, our interactions soon developed into fuller conversations about adjusting to life in America. These bi-weekly encounters provided me with deeper insight into the perspectives of foreign-born students and the harsh realities of moving to America from abroad. It was my involvement in this program where I witnessed my love for language extend beyond simple communication into the community bonds it was able to foster. This sense of companionship and value of inclusivity is what I bring to all the environments I am a part of but is also what I hope to bring as a prospective student to promote a more interconnected and culturally diverse atmosphere in higher education.