Bolivian
Tsinghua wasn't always in my plans, studying in China in general. I hadn't looked that far across the world as an opportunity nor did I see it as a place that might be right for me. Being a mixed kid growing up was hard, not really having a sense of belonging anywhere in general. Being born in Houston Texas and spending my teen years in Bolivia, it was always the same question, "so, what are you?" And now, thanks to and being a part of Tsinghua, of Zhishan I get to say say "Excellence." When that admissions letter came in, I had no idea what I was getting myself into, but now that I'm here, it's exactly where I'm supposed to be. What I used to call dreams have now become achievable goals, and I can't wait to make that final score.
Tsinghua teaches you to exceed your limits and achieve what you once thought was unachievable. At the beginning of the semester I thought it would be impossible for me to entirely study in Chinese, one thing is using the language to socialize, it's another thing to actually study in it. I've always been told and heard that at universities, professors (especially those who have 100+ students) don't care about you nor your work, but it was definitely a huge shock when I saw how each class literally has a TEAM of people working with their students making sure they are the best versions of themselves, I was in complete awe. For example, my fantastic Economics teacher Ms. Jin Wei Ping (as other professors) let me to use English to answer my midterm exam, and when she saw I had difficulty in understanding the content of the exam, she later that week allowed me to prove that I knew everything we had learned that half of the semester in an essay, which I am extremely grateful for, and only encouraged me to give my absolute 200% in her class, which I felt went well for my final! Also like my wonderful professor Zhang Yi Meng, Sun Yu Chen, and Meng Tian Guang in my Logic of Politics class. These are a few examples among many!
I have never felt like I've belonged anywhere as much as I do here, Zhishan is a safe space for you to be exactly who you want to be. There are times where I doubt myself, but then remember, Tsinghua saw something in me and wanted me to be apart of their greatness, there's no backing out now. This university has anything and everything you need, from academics to sports, arts, and especially the people. At Zhishan College, you'll never feel like you're missing anything.
