Autobiographic Summary. What Value, Philosophy and Attributes

¶ … autobiographic summary. What value, philosophy and attributes describe you? What qualities define your character? Describe what significant events you believe influenced your character. Note any special activity or organization in which you have been involved. Consider what makes your desired profession relevant to you. What assets do you possess that will contribute to your success as a professional?

Change is something we can face with either trepidation or anticipation. I have always liked immersing myself in new experiences and situations. I come from a traditional Chinese culture that believes there are both Yin and Yang; that everything in life has an opposite and something to balance it. Unfortunately, it seamed I had a little too much "Yang" as my family had a number of problems that prevented me from enjoying a happy childhood. If I had believed in good karma, I would have concluded that growing up in Chinese-Vietnamese family in Hong Kong would eventually make me a stronger person and provide me with the desire and skills to help others.

My father was a very traditional Chinese man who believed raising children was definitely not a man's responsibility. He often came home drunk and had violent reactions when things were not as he desired. I quickly learned to be adept at assessing his mental state to avoid sparking his unstable disposition. In contrast to him, my mother was a very stable, career-minded Vietnamese woman who believed money brings power. She often said, "Only the best education, and the best planned extracurricular activities can lead to success in life." Everything needed to precisely match her ideal plan in order to please her. Consequently, I had little open communication with her. Yet, my childhood hardships trained me to be observant, patient and often prepared me to deal with extreme situations. My experiences have enabled to me empathize with people who have also faced situations of abuse or hardship that they have led to mental or physical injury.

At the age of 19, I started my undergraduate education at the University of Indianapolis. I was the only Cantonese speaking students there. Furthermore, the American style of teaching was so different from what I had previously been exposed to that I temporarily experienced culture shock. Even the most competitive students in Hong Kong typically engage in passive learning styles. Students rarely challenge their professors' views as this would cause them to lose face. Education in Hong Kong minimizes questions or classroom discussion and focuses primarily on memorizing vast amounts of information from text books. I had never been encouraged to participate in discussion groups because students in my culture were taught to only passively listen, so my initial attempts to become involved made me feel strange and even impertinent. My difficult adjusting to the American style of learning resulted in my grades plummeting during my first semester.

There were also other things I needed to overcome. I was filled with anger from my parents' divorce, which was the result of my father's affair and my mother's perfectionism. As I was young and mostly healthy, I thought I could live forever, so I engaged in self-destructive behaviors like smoking, skipping classes, staying up late and having casual relationships. I was rebellious and attention seeking, and eventually this could have caused my own destruction.

At that time, however, I was fortunate to have had Dr. Lin, a Taiwanese professor, and my classmate Michael, (who would later become my husband), to help me through the transition of recovering my self-worth and purpose. They helped me put my life back together again. Both of them had a great deal of experience dealing with cultural adjustments, and they guided me through these difficult times by giving me support and by listening to the concerns of my daily life. Their efforts enabled me to understand the importance of listening empathetically, and inspired me to become an active listener when I am working to help others.

Just after Christmas in 2001, my son was born. Just as one might turn the page of a book to the next chapter, I became a new person. From a carefree twenty-year-old sophomore, I suddenly realized that I am not only responsible for my own actions, but also for my family's well being. Through this experience, I felt released from the bitterness trapped within me since my childhood, and I have changed the direction my life was headed, finding it within myself to fulfill my potential in everything I do.