“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn’t as individuals.” – Jean Vanier
Throughout my life, I have always been encouraged by my community, including my friends and my family. As a student who has experienced diverse cultures moving from Shanghai to Melbourne, I am supported by my communities to go after my dreams during each stage of my life.
Since childhood, I always told my friends that I would like to observe and experience the immensity of the world we live in. I told them that Shanghai may seem enormous, but it was just a leaf in the ocean when compared to the whole world. Every time I mentioned this, they would ask me: “So why don’t you study abroad afterwards?” Since then, the seed of this dream has been cultivated in my heart. When I conversed with my parents about my goal, they both supported and inspired me with the utterance: “To stand higher is not to let others see you, but to let you see the whole world.” This made me become ambitious about the future of studying abroad and has been instilled in my mind until now.
Furthermore, my teachers have given me great assistance and motivation to go after my dreams. They encouraged me to experience diverse cultures and often said: “You will meet whoever you are, and you will become whoever you meet.” When I was young, I did not fully comprehend the maxim; however, as I become older, I gradually grasped the profound underlying meaning. It let me know that I was just a frog in the well, and the world outside was far more splendid.
After I came to Melbourne three years ago, I was also supported by the community around me, providing me with a profusion of suggestions. As soon as I entered my current school, I instantaneously found a huge interest in journalism and was often praised by my teachers for insightful thoughts. Although studying journalism was merely a serendipity, it opened a novel area for me, and I was rapidly engrossed by it. The first time I was proud of my writing was when my teachers helped publish my opinion pieces on editorial boards. It aggrandized my self-confidence and established the foundation for my future goals. After recognizing my interest in writing, my classmates encouraged me to join the school editorial committee to utilize my expertise. Thus, my ambition became using my knowledge to express my opinions and resolve problems. What’s more, when I was prattling with my neighbor, he suggested that I could volunteer for the local newspaper service, which could further enhance my influence and help improve our local community.
In conclusion, I have received tremendous assistance from both my communities in Shanghai and Melbourne. At different stages of my life, they have substantially promoted my knowledge, motivated me to go after my dream, and let me see the spectacular view of the world.