Experiences
Intermediate Composition Honors Seminar
I took Intermediate Composition Honors Seminar over the summer. It was an asynchronous class in which the professor posted online lectures, readings, and assignments for us to work on our own pace. Most of the work was designed to prepare us for our final assignment. We wrote an autoethnography which is a form of ethnographic research in which a researcher connects personal experiences to wider cultural, political, and social meanings and understandings. It is considered a form of qualitative and/or arts-based research. In the class, I learned about techniques to enhance my writing, research, and storytelling skills. I believe that these skills are versatile and required in many fields, so I anticipate the things that I learned in class to prove themselves useful in my professional and personal development. However, I would not have taken this particular class again due to the tough grading, little feedback provided on assignments, and the professor being unresponsive to emails.
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If you click on the image on the right, it links to my autoethnography final assignment. I chose this sample because it embodies the writing knowledge that I extracted from this course. This essay also gives readers some insight into my personality and my experience as a first-year student at UC.
Honors Welcome Experience Mentor
Being an Honors Welcome Experience Mentor was a transformative journey that enriched my life in a lot of ways. During the Welcome Experience, I guided newcomers to the University Honors Program, fostering a sense of belonging and aiding their integration into a new environment. My responsibilities included providing information about the Honors program, addressing concerns, and offering support, ensuring a smooth transition for first-year students navigating unfamiliarity with college life. After the Welcome Experience, co-mentor Emily Gelhausen and I met with our mentees at various times during their first semester to check-in with them.
This experience taught me the importance of empathy and effective communication. Understanding diverse perspectives became crucial as I navigated individual nuances and challenges. I learned to adapt my approach to cater to unique needs of my mentees. Additionally, being able to provide academic and life advice to help my mentees left me with a strong sense of fulfillment. The role not only sharpened my mentoring abilities but also heightened my appreciation for diversity. Finally, I learned a lot about the University Honors Program myself as I talked with other mentees and coordinators.
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As a Welcome Experience Mentor, I discovered the power of community-building and the profound effect it has on both the mentor and the mentee. This experience has left an indelible mark on my personal and professional growth, shaping me into a more compassionate, adaptable, and culturally competent individual.
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The picture on the right is the GroupMe that Emily, my mentees, and I used to communicate with each other about meeting times or for check-ins. It's a wonderful way to stay connected with my mentees and ensure that they have a support network that they can rely on.
Learning Chinese and Chinese Culture
As a Chinese-American who has a professional proficiency in Chinese, I have been exposed to both American and Chinese culture. My parents are both Chinese, so my family speaks some Chinese at home and engages in Chinese traditions such as celebrating Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival. Therefore when I embarked on this self-designed experience, I hoped to increase my understanding of both my language and culture.
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This experience has opened my eyes in a lot of ways when learning Chinese and the culture. I studied from a Chinese textbook (HSK 5 Standard Course), followed an online course that complemented the textbook and watched Chinese videos/movies at least three times a week. Throughout this experience, I learned a plethora of new Chinese vocabulary and grammar points that enabled me to understand and communicate in Chinese with more ease than before. This has removed barriers to communication with native speakers and has opened the doors to understanding more about Chinese culture. I also learned a great deal about Chinese history, the differences between Chinese and Western culture, and Chinese art.
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I hope to continue my journey towards Chinese fluency and use my skill sets to pursue potential opportunities such as studying abroad or doing business in China. Beyond professional opportunities, I also hope to be able to be able to better connect with my extended family members back in China to fully appreciate my roots.
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To the right is a YouTube video summarizing my language learning experience to share with current/future language learners.
Experience 4
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Experience 5
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