PERSONAL STATEMENT

NGO NGOC ANH | 吴玉瑛

I still remember those days when I was seem to be depressed because of endless hours studying
English just to please my parents during about thirteen years. I started feeling hope in nothing when I
was in high school. My every single day passed with dull color till I found my interest in learning
Chinese. Learning Chinese is a kind of the light at the end of the tunnel to me. I felt like a fish that has
found its way back to the ocean. Thus, I tried to persuade my parents to give me a chance to learn it but
they did not really care about my request. They thought learning Chinese is my momentary decision
and they still keep their views that learning English is the most important thing for my better life. For a
child who always follow parents’ requests, that moment is when I feel sorrowful most. Then I talked
with some speakers who insprire and encourage people to find their own dream and live for it, one of
them asked me after listening my problems: “Who are you?” I numbed with that question. “Who you are?”
Who am I? I cannot answer it surely, because I even do not know the answer. After that day, I suddenly
made a crazy decision: I will not care anything but myself. I want to live for my life from today. The
question “Who are you?” stucked in my head and at the same time, I seemed to hear the voice of myself
which I ignored all that time, it said: “I am Ngo Ngoc Anh!”

I started to live my life with that insane thought. I asked my perents again for permission to let
me learn Chinese, they denied as my prediction. Then I did what I want with my way. I quit English
class for which my parents had to pay a lot of money and using my saving money to buy studying
Chinese books. I started learning Chinese by myself. I searched for Chinese books and novels; I used
my freetime for practising Chinese characters, grammars and improving Chinese vocabulary and other
skills. I did really enjoy self-studying like that. However, somehow I cannot ignore anything, I still
want to have my parents support, that why I used all my strength and my efforts to prove with my
parents that learning Chinese is the right path for me. Then, I have got my first success in Chinese by
receiving HSK 4 Certification after nearly a year by focusing totally in my goal and perfectly believing
in myself. I was right when I listen to my request.

I used to be a selfish, negative one who trusted nobody. I believed in myself more than other
people. I used to be a person like that because I thought that must be a good way for me to protect
myself from pain and disapointment. But after attending a three-week volunteer trip teaching English
for middle school and kindergarten students in Chengdu, I saw the change in my mind. During all the
time living in the myself blinded tiny world, that is the moment that I feel I have gone out to see and
feel how big this world is, to have better understanding of the lives around me.

The trip taught me many things. It gave me the opportunity to practice and improve English
and Chinese, to let me know that I am actually not really no hope in English. Not only that, I also have
chances to try new things like dancing and singing; I can accumulate team-work experiences and
improve both my communication skills and my teaching skills as well. The trip helps me open my
mind to learn about sharing and giving, it makes me felt more alive and youthful. I felt the happiness
of giving and receiving and I thought, "I still want to do things like this every day in my lives", that is
when I thought about "Social Work Studies".

The general purpose of Social Work Studies is to "work with people" and "direct people to a
better life". Everybody deserves a peaceful, equal and hopeful life. I want to be a person who brings
something to others people lives, like a smile or a ray of hope, and I am blissful when I can do that.
Albert Einstein said “Try not to become a man of success. Rather become a man of value.”, I used to want to
be a successful person, but now I do not care so much about success anymore, I just want to “become a
man of value”, a cheerful person who will cheer other people on. Do you know why? Because when I do
something with all of my power and passion, I will succeed. Therefore, after all, a meaningful life is the
thing that I always pursue.