an ugly duckling diversity story (Sophie's college essay for RICE)

A. The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What perspective do you feel that you will contribute to life at Rice?

“Foreign Devil! Foreign Devil!” I heard the mocking shouts of classmates echoing across our Chinese kindergarten playground as children ran to inspect me. They reached for my curly blonde hair, unnatural to them, pulling it and laughing. I took cover in an old mushroom shaped slide, in exasperation promising my sister that the next person to ridicule me would pay. The bell rang, and I peeked to see the lines retreating back to class. When I was sure all was safe, I left my refuge and tentatively headed back. Then to my surprise a little girl came up from behind me and stroked my hair. I took it as one insult too many: turning on the girl I punched her straight between the eyes. I was struggling with being different, hurt by being the odd one out, yet she was the one who actually appreciated and even admired my difference. When I returned to the school years later I realized how much I had grown in my awareness that diversity is a valuable thing. It does not have to isolate people, rather it can foster an appreciation of one’s own uniqueness and enhance the color of life by enjoying the uniquenesses of others.

Growing up I had the privilege to experience life in four beautiful countries; born in America, early childhood in remote China, most of my education inThailand, and a fascinating year studying in England. Each place had its challenges and opportunities, unique in its own way. When I was young I did not like being different. However, as I grew through my experiences living in such varied places I began to see the beauty of how diversity enriches unity when we learn to appreciate and embrace differences, rather than fight against them.

I spent most my childhood in Thailand attending an international school. Although more than half of the students were fellow Americans, I found my place with a different crowd, the Koreans. Previously having been a minority myself, I learned to see school from their perspective. Together with a Thai friend I took an evening class at Chiang Mai University to learn how to begin to read, write and speak Korean. The class was with all Thai students so the material was either in Thai or Korean. This strengthened my Thai language and relationships while at the same time helping my understanding of Korean language and culture.

Thailand prepared me for the most diverse place I’ve ever lived: London. On the first day of school in a British sixth form, I went to lunch at Pizza Hut with some fellow students. Among the four of us there was a British atheist, a Bangladeshi Muslim, an Indian Hindu, and an American Christian. Each of us had our distinctives. I prayed before I ate. My Muslim friend could not eat pork. My Hindu friend could not eat beef. My atheist friend was a vegetarian, and so we enjoyed a cheese pizza together. Instead of our differences pulling each other apart, we were drawn together, intrigued and fascinated. Throughout the year we grew as friends, sharing our cultural and religious perspectives while respecting each other’s. Through this I have learned not to be threatened by differences in belief and cultural, but rather to embrace them as a chance to learn more about myself, and to open my eyes to the world around me.

While in London I tried out for the Queen’s Park Rangers Football Club and was overjoyed to be signed by them. This team of girls from various backgrounds, some from the difficult inner city, others from long established British middle class families, taught me not only about soccer, but about working with still more cultural backgrounds. By the end of the season, I had risen from bench warmer, to starter, to receiving an award from the team manager. He mentioned his appreciation of me for not only understanding the sub culture of British football, but by bringing my unique ‘American Spirit’ to contribute to the team. I was accepted as different, yet belonged.

I used to be like an ugly duckling, flustered at being different from others. Time and experience have helped me to grown beyond that. My perspective has broadened over the years as I have enjoyed insights from others by taking the time to see from their perspectives. Whether Chinese, Thai, Korean, British, American, or other, different cultures have shaped me to where I am looking forward to finding my place in a community where variety makes life interesting and beautiful.

A. The quality of Rice’s academic life and the Residential College System are heavily influenced by the unique life experiences and cultural traditions each student brings. What perspective do you feel that you will contribute to life at Rice?