Tell us about a personal quality, talent, accomplishment, contribution or experience that is important to you. What about this quality or accomplishment makes you proud, and how does it relate to the person you are?
Throughout our lives, we will meet many people. When we encounter someone, we should not condemn that person according to his/her initial behavior because there is always a reason behind it. Good communication, understanding, respect, and a little help may change a person's future. I learned this through a missions trip to China.
In my freshman year of high school, I was invited to be a teaching assistant and a translator at a summer program that taught Chinese students English in southern China. Teaching is a fun but demanding job. Yet long hours preparing lesson material, grading homework, attending various staff meetings, and getting few hours of sleep were the least of my worries. The most difficult task I faced was counseling a particular eight-year-old named Peter. He exhibited fighting, excessive vulgar language, rebellion, and many other things best left undiscussed. Every teacher gave up on Peter, deeming him "unmanageable". Since Peter had no friends, they passed him on to me for companionship and counseling. Despite the stress of my other responsibilities, I was committed to fulfilling my duty, going through difficult weeks chatting, mentoring, and spending time with Peter. However, underneath my veneer of diligence and encouragement, I still viewed Peter with contempt.
It was not until the day I gave Peter my complete love and patience that a miracle happened. When I spent my afternoon free time to teach him American football, something changed as Peter caught his first 40-yard pass and scored a "touchdown", skipping around the field with delight. He soon opened up, improved his behavior, and began making friends thereafter. Later on, I was told that Peter had an abusive father and high levels of lead in his blood, which would explain his impulsive, aggressive, antisocial behavior.
When I told Peter's story to my mom, she said that there is always a reason for people's actions. She showed me the importance of treating everyone with compassion by telling me a real story. One day, her teacher was riding on a 6am train to New York City. Next to her sat a father and his five-year-old son. Even though the son was crying, climbing around, and disturbing the other sleepy passengers, the father just idly sat there. My mom's teacher, annoyed, asked the father to quiet his son. The father replied, "His mother died in the hospital two hours ago...". Since then, the experience altered the teacher's self-centered attitude forever. Like many other iGeneration youth, I was a bit egocentric too, and tended to avoid those below my own "standard". It takes good communication, patience, and humility to understand another. These lessons have been extremely valuable... I am proud to have learned...
Looking at a college life in the near future, I expect to walk on campus and meet many people of different backgrounds, cultures, and statuses. I cannot use my own standards to judge those like Peter or the boy on the train, simply labeling them "cool" or "weird". Instead, I now treat everyone with respect and empathy regardless of how odd they may appear to be. You never know how or when, but just a little kindness may completely change someone's life.
