School and Beyond by Rebecca
Rebecca's entry into Varsity Tutor's August 2024 scholarship contest
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School and Beyond by Rebecca - August 2024 Scholarship Essay
Most of the students I tutored back home grew up in cross-cultural bilingual households like me; struggling to find a middle ground between being forced to retain the motherland language, but competing in English against students who have only known one language their whole lives. We found comfort in the books where transcending language, fun facts and vibrant photos ignited a thirst for knowledge. In the colorful pages of the monsters, princesses, and talking animals, we discovered a fantastical world that cultivated a love for literature and learning in both my students and myself. Going into college, I knew that I wanted to continue working with children because I felt that I was making a difference in their lives by becoming an active role model and furthering their academic journey.
My experience working with students at the Lexington City Office on Youth significantly altered the way I viewed education and community influence. Being the only East-Asian Bonner Scholar, I was shocked to see how many of the kids treated me differently compared to my counterparts. Unknowingly, they would make comments towards me that were inherently discriminatory, because of the severe lack of multicultural education in a primarily white, impoverished community. In addition, many of the students did not have access to the same books or materials that fueled their desire to learn and took away from their imaginative world of adventure and creativity. They did not have the resources such as advanced technology, progressive academic material, and even proper nutrition needed to cultivate a healthy environment for learning. Entangling myself with members from all different communities taught me the importance of equitable and inclusive policy, allowing me to realize that I wanted to pursue an academic career in education and advocacy where I can work towards addressing the systemic issues in the public education system and advocate for change and initiative in disadvantaged communities by providing members with resources and emotional nourishment that encourage their potential for growth and success.
During my time actively engaging with the Rockbridge community, my perspective on the impact of discrimination and lack of resources in minority and low-income communities have broadened significantly. One of my main goals as a transfer student at Columbia is to take advantage of its core curriculum to dive deeper into the social, political, economical, and even biological factors that play a role in influencing children throughout their educational attainment while also utilizing the fieldwork, research, and public engagement opportunities that the institution offers to apply it to my mission for advocacy and positive change within local communities and the public education system. Outside of the classroom, I plan on exploring different passions by exposing myself to a whole different cornerstone of education. My involvement within the NYC public education system will allow me to become more knowledgeable, open-minded, and socially equipped to navigate a complex, ever-changing global society.. I plan to devote my academic studies for the pursuit of a more inclusive and diverse community where people are offered the support they need to develop into their brightest potential.
I want to become a person who makes the learning experience rewarding for every individual student. I want to become someone who makes a change within the community, not just socially but legally. Throughout my engagement with different communities, I’ve been exposed to many different learning environments and have seen the effects it has on the ambition of children growing up. I have also seen how just a little bit of help in classrooms goes such a long way. Whether it be tutoring ESL students, or low-income minority members in Lexington, VA, being available is such a privilege in these children’s lives, and it’s also affected the way I began to view the public education system. My education was crucial in shaping who I am today, and while I acknowledge its successes, I also see its flaws, such as the widening achievement gap and the lack of resources to support low-income communities. Community service motivates me to become an advocate for positive change, and I believe that in that sense, volunteering is more than just a one-sided venture- rather it is a mutual exchange of knowledge, ideas, and power in a community setting.