The spell off saccharine song such as Ace Lo Green’s “Forget You,” demonstrates the magical powers of a great song that captivates the senses of many people. Even my seven-year-old daughter gets excited whenever she hears the song “Forget You” playing over the airways. From the outset, I was also wooed by its spell. The […]

One day I will travel to Hong Kong. Though most people are attracted by the city’s tourist sites, I want to enjoy Hong Kong’s extensive subway system, large double-decker busses, tiny shuttle busses, and the famous double-decker streetcars that have climbed the hills of this city for over a century. Studying and experiencing various transportation […]

Failure used to be a frightening experience and I never felt like I failed as hard as I did in middle school. I was in kindergarten when my brother used to bring me along with him to mariachi practice. It was there when I fell in love with violins. The instrument was fascinating to my […]

Being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease my freshman year wasn’t easy. It was, however, a catalyst for lifelong compassion, a newfound forum for personal philosophy, an ideal foundation for tackling obstacles, and the ultimate lesson in redefining my limits. Most importantly, it’s the premise of my bravest story. Lying in the light of a monitor […]

The first time I am called beautiful by someone outside of my family is in an elderly home. I’m eager to find a volunteer position, but as there are too many working in the local Sao Paulo orphanage, I reluctantly agree to spend two hours every Wednesday in a Brazilian elderly home. I don’t like […]

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you. My mother—a single parent—works as a civil servant of Bhutan: due to her occupational hazards, I was entitled to attend boarding school and travel alone at a young age. Ever since I started to attend […]

I am not an A+ student. But, I am not a straight F student, either. I do not drive a Mercedes Benz and I don’t spend hundreds of dollars shopping with my parent’s credit cards. I am fortunate enough to go home and know there will be food for dinner or that my brother will […]

“Ah!” I screech to myself as a torrent of thoughts crash into being -100 degree heat, the contents of Wendy’s fries digesting in my stomach, family, anxiety- as chatter and speculation cease to continue. The bus rolls to a stop as the campus of Georgia Southern surrounds me, greets me. The Boys State 2010 session […]

Unfamiliar experiences? Yeah, I guess I’m the one who always hesitates before trying a new adventure. There is one major event that comes to mind when I think of the many things that I have accomplished. Rock climbing. Yes, you’ve read correctly, rock climbing. Fears concerning unfamiliar experiences are feelings I wish to overcome during […]

Every eight-year-old girl has a dream. Many want to be princesses, some want to be cowgirls, a few want to be president. Me? I wanted to see the penguins. So, at a time when most of my friends were spending their money on Barbie dolls and colorful hair ties, I was saving for a trip […]