Undergraduate / If my father hadn't won a lottery for a visa to the USA then my life would be terribly different [4]

Our motto is Ut Prosim. Comment (Virginia Tech 250 words personal statement)

If my father hadn't won a lottery for a visa to the United States thirty years ago, then my life would be terribly different. I wouldn't have had the fortune of living in one of the wealthiest areas or the opportunity to attend school in one of the best school systems in the United States. Growing up in Fairfax County had definitely skewed my perception of privilege.

I never realized how fortunate I was until the summer of 2011, when I took part in New World Bilingual Institute's Hope Ambassadors Program. During the three-week-long trip to rural China, I gained the opportunity to meet and befriend students who lacked my relative prosperity. Before setting out, I helped fund-raise for these students; I hadn't completely understood why these rural areas couldn't afford books or why the schools looked so shoddy, but seeing the joy on the faces of these kids made me wonder what was so special about simple notebooks and pencils. It was heartwarming to see somebody so elated about what I found ordinary. As I conversed more with these students, however, I learned why they worked so hard despite their narrower window of opportunity: they wanted to serve their community and families, to bring about change so they could improve their lives.

I was younger back then, but taking part in this trip aided my realization of what it meant to serve others and how I would serve my community as a Hokie.