Working For Peace
Language is the road map of a culture. It tells you where its people come from and where they are going.
‒Rita Mae Brown
As I experience life, I have witnessed many moments where a lack of communication has created divisions and lead to greater mistrust within the people of my community and other places. It saddens me to see problems like racism and violence erupt from situations where people do not understand the language of their neighbors. I have taken it upon myself to learn languages like Spanish, French and Mandarin Chinese to mediate conflicts and promote peaceful relationships between people, institutions, and communities.

For example, when I worked at a Winn Dixie as a cashier, I had this one man who needed to cash coins to buy a meal for his family and spoke Spanish. I used my knowledge of Spanish to communicate with him so that he could complete his business. Also, in high school, I was a part of a leadership team and I worked in the main office answering phones and assisting my mentor. There was a woman who was concerned about her child and came into the office speaking Spanish which my mentor didn’t understand. I was able to calm her down by replying in Spanish until a translator could be reached. If I hadn’t studied Spanish in high school, I would not have been able to apply it to moments like these in order to serve all of the people within my community. The results of language learning in my past allowed me to connect with native Spanish speakers which created meaning in relationships and prevented potential disasters.

As illustrated above,  I've managed to experience firsthand the benefit of learning other languages and how it can impact the lives of those around you in a positive way. After going through the 8-week Chinese Immersion program, I hope to expand my efforts by teaching English for a year in China, founding a non-profit organization that works for peace, and to be able to teach Chinese novels in American schools someday. My aim is to be an English Professor and one of the requirements to be successful in this job is to speak four languages. After completing my bachelor’s degree, I want to be fully fluent in English, Spanish, French and Mandarin Chinese and your program will help me reach this goal.

In all honesty, the reason why I set this goal is that I’m determined to change the world. Its my belief that in order to change the world you must first influence the hearts and minds of the people. The only way to do this is through language which is something all human beings share in common . By learning Mandarin Chinese, I am one step closer to reaching another culture with my message of peace. I have grown tired of the bitter wars between races due to miscommunication and I seek your help in achieving my dream of connecting other people through the power of education. We're all in this together and that’s not just some cliché but a true statement that rings out in the souls of those who have exhausted every effort to create peaceful relationships. I want to be the type of person who can end constant violence  through communication which is why I implore you to grant me this fellowship because without out it I will never fully be able to realize this dream.

Ultimately, I will contribute to more peaceful relationships between people, institutions and communions by learning different languages and applying them to my everyday routine. If I am able to go through the Chinese immersion program, my future plans are to instruct pupils in English for a year in China, found the Alliance for Hope, and to expose students that I will have someday to various works of literature that are staples of Chinese culture. It is up to you to decide whether or not you want to be a part of my language journey and the lives I’m going to impact through education. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to apply for this fellowship.