I’ve always been one to look ahead. I’m always thinking about how the choices I make today can impact the person I’ll be in five, ten, fifteen years. Just four years ago I made one of the biggest decisions of my life: to study Chinese.
I studied Romance languages in high school and had gotten bored by conjugations. I wanted a challenge and I definitely found that in studying Chinese. It pushed me to do so many things. Pushed me to study harder every night, pushed me to participate more in class, and most importantly it pushed me to study abroad. My experiences living and studying in Beijing for a summer completely changed my future. It pushed me to declare a Chinese major in addition to International Relations and it pushed me to go back to China after graduation.
I am proud to say I have accomplished both of these goals. In June of this year, just one month after I graduate from W&M, I will become a Peace Corps Volunteer in China. I will spend the next two years putting into practice what I have learned as a Chinese major.