Franklin & Marshall seems so close. There's a special feeling with every thought of this place. I've lost count of how many times I've replayed the 'Who We Are' video on the college's website and couldn't help smiling widely. Maybe, in the end, it's no longer the renowned Economics department, the beautiful and tranquil campus with the Hartman Green I've always loved or the Blue & White Society that make me stay; it's simply the people here.
At the college, everyone seems to treat each other like family. I first got that impression when I received an email from Patricia Ressler back in November regarding my inquiry, and it was the rare one that wasn't one-sentence long like replies from other colleges, but instead so patiently elaborated on what I hadn't understood. Though just a small gesture, the letter cheered me up at the time I was desperate with the application. Even now I feel the same endearment about the Diplomats, always.
Being a Diplomat then means being part of a big family. In a family, members care for and help one another, even if the one in need comes from the other side of the globe, which I am. Growing in a traditional Vietnamese home, I'm invariably taught, "Before you learn anything, first learn to be a (good) person." I won't just learn to be a scholar at Franklin & Marshall; more importantly, I will look up to others around me and learn to be a responsible and altruistic person in the community, willing to put myself out for others and strive for the common good. I can't help thinking the same as Katie Delaney in the video: "It makes me feel like I'm doing something for a reason and it has a purpose. That purpose is greater than myself." I will find that purpose nowhere else but here, as a proud Diplomat.
I want to bear that name, to be a part of that family. But even if I can't be one, Franklin & Marshall will, for me, still be a family worth having.
Please comment on my essay as critically as possible. Thank you for any precious responses!
