"Highs" of the Week

This semester has been wonderful so far. I'm loving the classes because they are all focusing on the two fields (Admissions and Student Affairs) that I am passionate about. I'm also continuing to learn something new every day at my assistantship, and I am so grateful that I am coached by amazing professionals like my supervisor and the office staff on a daily basis. Life in general is so much better when I do what I love despite of the challenges along the path. Below are the "highs" of my week. 

Penn GSE Chinese New Year Celebration - 

Teaching my friends some moves! :D

This year marks the 8th year when I am not able to 

celebrate Chinese New Year with my family back home. It has always been very emotionally difficult for me at this time of the year since I came to the U.S., but I have found a relatively effective way to cope with this unavoidable challenging period of time - to actively be part of the new year celebration in my community. Tonight, I was honored to perform a Dunhuang solo dance at  TC@Penn's third Chinese New Year celebration in Houston Hall at Penn, part of this country's first student union. Other students also danced, sang, and performed Kungfu talents in honor of this special time of the year for Chinese around the world. I've always felt closer to home when I am able to share some of the rich Chinese culture with others in my life. My husband also treated me to a fabulous lunch in Chinatown today when I learned that starting next week, there will be a new year's parade in Chinatown every Sunday morning. I am so glad that there is a Chinatown here in Philly!

Ph.D. Weekend - 

I had a long but fun and meaningful day yesterday. My teammate Kevin and I greeted 31 Ph.D. applicants at the hotel at 8a.m. and brought them back to campus to join the rest of the group for a whole day of events ending at 10p.m.! Altogether, we welcomed 41 Ph.D. applicants yesterday and had a wonderful time meeting them at various times. I always find it fascinating to meet different people with different background stories, and it was such an easy time connecting with those applicants! It is events like yesterday that once again affirmed my passion for Admissions. :) I am loving my GA job as I complete this program. Nothing is better than applying what I have been learning in class right in the field! 

Admissions Workshop for Chinese high school students - 

Last semester, I wrote a research paper on U.S. College Preparedness for First-Time Chinese International Students for my Qualitative Modes of Inquiry class. This past Wednesday, I had the privilege to present a workshop on the topic of U.S. college preparedness and application strategies for a group of 17 visiting Chinese high school students. I am deeply touched and inspired by their curiosity of U.S. higher education system, their enthusiasm of learning new things, and their high level of energy during participation. I cherish every opportunity, formal or informal, to share my experiences with university-bound and university students, and enjoy seeing the spark in their eyes whenever something clicks. 

It is one of my goals to be more intentional about networking during this semester, and so far, I am pleased with my progress.