As soon as I heard Ms. Cheung introduce herself, my head turned, and my eyes lit up. While I was used to hearing Cantonese in passing in Hong Kong, Mandarin was something completely different. Its sound somehow had the tenderness of a lullaby but the intensity of a battle cry. Instantly captivated by this peculiar language, I spent the whole weekend perfecting my intonation. The following Monday, I skipped into class excited to show off what I thought was a...

Tennis is an integral part of my identity, something that just makes sense in my life. It amazes me how a sport can accommodate such graceful aggression. To many in primary school, I was the weirdo that was never seen without a tennis racket. But trudging my sizeable tennis bag to school every day was the only way I could make it to afternoon training all the way on the other side of Hong Kong. I played 6 times a week, 3...

Academic rigor often brings with it cutthroat competitiveness, but what separates Brown from other prestigious institutions is the student body’s collaborative nature. At Brown, everyone is committed to supporting one another and seeing their peers thrive, pushing others to achieve greatness in their own unique way. A tight-knit freshman ‘unit’ and randomly-assigned roommate will mean I am surrounded by a diverse set of equally motivated people from whose interests and ideas I can learn.   Brown’s Open Curriculum resonates...

Watching a North Korean soldier gripping his gun by his heart with his free thoughts suppressed, while visiting the Korean Demilitarized Zone this year illuminated an entirely different world – one I want to change with an International Relations degree. At Brown, I’m drawn to the Watson Institute’s China Initiative seminars, and see courses like “Women and Gender Relations in China” equipping me, a young feminist, with tools to strategise against social injustice. Studying abroad at Tsinghua University will...

I was born in London, where I lived until we moved to Hong Kong aged 6. At the time, it just meant a new school and a new view from my window, but Hong Kong, where I spent my pivotal, formative years, will forever have a special place in my heart. As of last year, my address is technically in South Korea – but pinpointing ‘home’ has always been difficult for me as I go to boarding school in the UK, a...

I am one of nine members of Feminism Society at a boys’ school rampant with casual sexism, where we are often deemed outcasts. Meetings are a judgement-free environment where I can be myself - not be expected to idly listen to comments about ‘fit’ girls and produce fake laughter at sexual assault jokes. Through the support of my FemSoc peers, I have learned to stand up for my beliefs. Now, those jokes are met with a passionate, but constructive, response....