An Unparalleled Opportunity by Vanessa

An Unparalleled Opportunity by Vanessa - November 2017 Scholarship Essay

Study abroad in China, to me, is an opportunity: an opportunity to further my education in an unfamiliar country and to immerse myself in a vastly different culture. As a dual citizen of America and Bulgaria, I am familiar with different cultures and I have experienced life on opposite ends of the Earth, but I am still hungry to know what life is like elsewhere. I traveled to Bulgaria this summer, alone, and discovered qualities in myself that I didn’t know I had. Making this journey myself really cemented my love of travel and furthered my curiosity of the way others live, coaxing out new dimensions of my personality. Studying elsewhere could be another adventure, potentially one of the most fulfilling adventures of my life. In China, I could cultivate my artistic and academic talents in a country soaked in history, and have an unparalleled international college experience while studying in one of the world’s most culturally rewarding countries.
As a Fashion Merchandising major, China’s rich history in fashion throughout the ages has always fascinated me. Its Eastern influence has a mysterious air about it due to its distance from the fashion capitals of the world in Europe. While other countries have their charms as well, China, with its intensely foreign and exotic air, has elements that are so unique to the country and bound to the land. The ancient way of the dress and the land cannot be separated from one another and the secrets they hold can only be discovered through first hand experience. Aside from being historically significant in the realm of fashion, the day-to-day street style in Asia is always documented and fawned over by American magazines-- the learning opportunities are simply everywhere and could inspire me in ways that I could not attain from anywhere else.
In addition to my desire to study away, I believe I could enhance myself from this experience. As a dual citizen and first generation American, I intimately understand and appreciate diversity. China has an incredibly international presence and I believe I could learn immensely from the people of the country, and amongst people whom I wouldn’t have crossed paths with otherwise.
I have been raised to be unprejudiced, to judge heart and not appearance, raised to love differences. I was raised with two languages under the same roof, two languages that I am fluent in, that open so many doors and provide common ground. I am open-minded, curious, and hardworking, the same traits that brought my family to a foreign land almost 20 years ago, traits that led them to thrive in this new country, traits that have been passed down to me. Studying abroad in China would enhance a college experience that I couldn’t duplicate elsewhere, and I would love to be able to experience it firsthand.