Undergraduate / How 4 letters have influenced my life [6]

Any comments or revisions are deeply appreciated.

CommonApp: "Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you."

Four Letters Long

Tsui-merely four letters long but guarantees an incorrect pronunciation every time. I have never tired correcting this translation mistake formed years ago when my parents emigrated from Taiwan. Together, my last name (t-s-u-i) is pronounced as "tray"-I know. I wonder why too.

I have found that some 3,113 Americans share the same last name as me, but mine is as close as you will ever enunciate a silent ray -something I have learned to value. Though the word eventually became a humorous segway into interesting introductions, I spent my childhood uncomfortable of it

Ever since I was five, I was embarrassed by my last name, especially when it was mistaken for Tushy. During roll call, I became anxious as the alphabetical names were called from A to S and finally to T. Compared to the preceding classmates (Smelkinson, Smith, Tagat, Thomason...), my name seemed like a third nostril. As each teacher took a stab at my name, there was always a catch in the throat, a sheepish apology, and then a "But where is the 'r'?" It was no surprise I became wary of my differences from my classmates.

But because no one else had such a perplexing surname, I was able use it to my benefit.
At the first pre-season track meet in my sophomore year, the coach was taking attendance. I began to wonder what he would call me in front of the other hundred cross-country runners as he bellowed "Megan Pulliam!" with confidence. And like any of his colleagues would, he stumbled. But instead of shrugging off his question, I took a chance and humored him. "I don't see it either," I suggested. His response was nothing fabulous, but he shook his head and chuckled, allowing me to sit back satisfied. For the very first time, my last name hadn't been a nuisance. Without the awkward shrug, I eliminated awkward and replaced it with a teacher to student bond. My years became more enjoyable, and in classes of outstanding students, I was remembered not only because of my contributions, but also for my name. After 13 years, my last name achieved respect. It became as laudable as my contributions.

Such a combination of four letters has baffled everyone from English teachers to telemarketers to my own parents. And it can't be changed. I can only play the cards I am dealt; Gradually, I crafted those four letters into my trademark.

For some years now, I have left my signature on some flavorful artwork. Usually, the objects are dull as jugs, but are still painted vibrantly with medium, capturing common-ground object in new perspective. Around town, people consisting surprisingly of parents and students know of my name but not of my face (up close at least). This, I have no doubt, is a result of hard work, work to which I've dedicated 16 hours a day in front of my easel, reciting half-a-millennium-old idioms, recalling countless theatrical expressions, countless revisions upon revisions multiplied by more revisions. And, finally, people are astounded to know how attentively I am capable of listening for my last name (which can be pronounced in all sorts of odd combinations) while simultaneously finding the third derivative of sin(3x5 +2x). So, though the hard work was all up to me, the obscurity of my last name is how I am remembered.

The name Tsui is now a suggestion of hard, honest work and originality. Behind the name, my ideas are constantly developed and improved with the audience in mind, fortified by various questions: Is there a better way to do this? What is the purpose of this? How do other people see this? Do I get the message across? My effort and thoughtfulness is applied to all aspects of my life-my artwork, my papers, my projects, my clubs, my relationships-and will surely be applied at [name of college] as well.

There is no doubt that countless four letter words exist. Some such as fear, love, hope, hate hold the most sentiment in the world. Other's like bass, pitt, cage or rice are common, but from my point of view, underappreciated when you compare it to name like Tsui, any of those words might seem like a pleasant alternative. But while this word may not compel so much feeling as hope, it surely holds a lot more than pitt. Now, I've somehow made it not so obscure. Point and case, just how do you now pronounce this word-Tsui.

Undergraduate / Theinfluence 4 letters have had on my life. [4]

Hey, I need a lot of help revising my essay. I deeply appreciate your time reviewing my essay. Thank you so much in advance!

CommonApp Prompt: Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.

Four Letters Long

Tsui- it's just four letters long, guarantees a wrong pronunciation every time, but I have never tired correcting this TOEFL mistake. Together, the four letters spell "tray"-just like a breakfast tray.

Some 3,113 Americans of the 308,236,491 in the United States of America share the same last name as me. But mine is as close as you will ever get to a silent ray-something I am proud to be born with. The word has always brought instant attention, (recently) a segway into an interesting introduction, meanwhile I am addressed as Christina Tissue, Christina Sushi, or (my delight) Christina Tushy.

For years, I was embarrassed by my last name, especially when it was mistaken for Tushy. I became anxious as the alphabet rolled from A to S and then finally T. It was not as simple to pronounce as my preceding classmates (Smelkinson, Smith, Tagat, Thomason...) and was always followed by a question I could not answer. Where was the 'r'? I couldn't stand this difference. It made me feel foreign and unlike from my classmates.

I first saw a different treatment to a roll call at a preseason track meeting sophomore year. Instead of shrugging off his question, I thought it might be interesting to humor him. "It's a Sesame Street nightmare."

Such a peculiar last name has baffled everyone from my English teachers to telemarketers to my parents. But with it, I made a trademark. I signed artwork of objects duller than bottles, yet colored more vibrantly than Frida. I entered and won speech competitions, leaving behind bits of auditorium as my face dominated a corkboard one week later, and I have developed a sharp sense of hearing while simultaneously finding the third derivative of sin (3x5 +2x)... I made my obscurity into a warrant.

The warrant supports hard, honest work with a creative touch. Behind Tsui are hours spent alongside my mother, reciting half-a-millennium-old idioms and countless theatrical expressions. They are springing ideas urbanized with the audience in mind. They are questions: Why am I drawing this, Is there a better way, How do other people see this, Do I get the message across... All of this is applied to my life: my artwork, my papers, my projects, my clubs, my relationships, and ultimately my college as well.

The success of my last name has been a central head fake [I would like to change this sentence]. I found values which makes me the walking limbs I am and which produce works affecting those around me. In four letters, I corrected a lot more that just my last name.