The Marquis de Lafayette's life, adventure, and legacy at Lafayette College

¶ … Life

At the age of 19, the Marquis de Lafayette left a life of privilege and prestige in France and sailed to America to fight for the American Revolution. His family motto guided his sense of adventure and reflects an attitude that pervades Lafayette College today: "Cur Non?" ("Why not?). Based on this motto, discuss a "Why not?" moment in your personal, academic, or social life.

Although my life to date has been characterized by a number of such poignant moments, perhaps the most compelling "why not" moment in my life was the decision to actively participate in the martial arts in general and taekwondo in particular when I was younger. Despite my young age and although the sport is dominated by male competitors, I firmly believed I was just as physically and mentally capable as anyone else in the sport and this sense of self-assurance produced a number of personal benefits and rewards that have since expanded my horizons. For example, when I was just 15 years old, I participated in a 3-day exchange in South Korea with Korean taekwondo competitors, took part in the training in Korean Taekwondo Hall and joined the China and South Korea Kickboxing Friendly Exchange Competition competing on behalf of China. Since that time, I have also competed in provincial leagues a number of times and more recently, as a blue belt, level 4, I was the runner-up in the Heilongjiang Mudanjiang Youth Taekwondo Tournament (Group A) in 2009. This latest experience in particular served to demonstrate that finesse, skill, training and timing in taekwondo are far more important than brute strength and force, an important finding that likely applies to a number of other areas of life as well.

By making the initial "why not" decision to actively participate and compete in these events, my life has been enriched in a number of ways that have reinforced my initial decision to do so. Beyond the physicality of the sport, taekwondo provides the framework in which personal growth can be accomplished in ways link the training of the mind and body together. This personal growth has been facilitated by the spiritual aspects of taekwondo that emphasize the unity of the body and mind so that practitioners can visualize what needs to be done and then do it in the most efficient manner possible. As a result of the martial arts training and the experiences that I have received, I feel confident that I can tackle any of life's challenges head-on and prevail. This is not to suggest, of course, that I believe I can do anything irrespective of my physical and mental abilities; rather, it means that I have taekwondo has helped me develop a sense of perseverance that compels me to excel in every aspect of my personal, academic and professional life.