Offer: 

International Relations at John Hopkins University (Bachelor’s to Master’s Programs)

International Relations at University of Michigan

From: US High school

Activities:

• President of the Student Council
• Youth mentor
• NYT Students Editorial Contest Award

Application Journey
As a child born in the US and raised in China, my multicultural background made me aware of societal and political disparities from a very young age. Guided by my FGE advisor, I learned about the international relations programs at many American institutions, and I believe that my studies will help me achieve my goal of promoting human rights equality in this globalized society.

To achieve this vision, the FGE advisory team helped me plan and supported me until the fall semester of my Grade 12 year. During this time, I organized the Interfaith campaign on campus to advocate for religious equality and published journal articles on human rights to promote the cause. These activities strengthened my decision to major in International Relations.

I also came into contact with some ex-offenders at an event and realized that it is very challenging for them to be re-employed. Initially, I was skeptical when I first engaged with them. However, I did not alienate them and initiated some conversations. To help them reintegrate into society, I designed a set of teaching materials on employment and actively organized skills training sessions through major public welfare organizations.

I secured my internship thanks to our school inviting NGO experts to give lectures every week. FGE’s advisors encouraged me to take the initiative to ask NGOs if they could offer me a suitable internship. After several failed attempts, I was able to secure the internship of my choice. Meanwhile, I also reached out to the faculty members of the program I was interested in. I had the opportunity to communicate with Cornell professors offline, and some of them provided me with reading lists related to my major, paving the way for my academic journey.