The following essay was submitted to the short answer college prompt: Describe the world you come from.
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When I was in the 5th grade I was presented with two powerful pieces of information: I was going to have a baby brother (my fifth sibling) and our family was moving to England. At this age I was very quiet and as the middle child I was very good listening and making other people happy and not understanding how I felt about things. People would ask me how I felt about moving or if I was excited to have a new sibling. The second question was easy; I had had new siblings before and experienced what that was like.
But I had never moved across an ocean. My sister and I now joke about how, back then, we did not even know what England was. It was true. Before we crossed the Atlantic for the first time we had no concept of anything beyond America. I often think about who I would be if I had not moved to England. And it scares me to think I would have been so much more sheltered and culturally unaware. I would not have travelled and experienced first hand and in depth other languages, countries, and cultures. Not would I have been able to go to schools with students from all over the world whose views differed significantly from mine and who changed the person I was. My world has made me sensitive to people’s unique qualities and has made me genuinely interested in learning about other people’s backgrounds when I meet them.
My world has also made me have a strong connection with my family. I love spending time with my sister, who will always be my best friend. I love talking and gaining guidance from my parents. And I love laughing and playing with my four brothers.********************************************************************************
Rate this essay from 1-5 with 5 being the highest. Support the rating you have given in a brief paragraph.
Do you think this student would add significant diversity to a classroom or a campus? Why or why not?
This student might be considered a Third Culture Kid (TCK). I posted an interview with a TCK who is now a filmmaker. If you read her words and then read this essay again does this change your perception of the student? Why or why not? If yes, why?
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| Ema Yamazaki |
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The following exchange took place on Linkedin: The other writer is a well-known counselor: Rebecca (Becky) Grappo
Me: I wish more people knew how great TCKs are for the experiences they bring to whatever school they go to and this this kind of diversity would be rewarded in selective admission decisions. You certainly understand them well. Thank you again.
Becky: YES!!! They do add a lot to any campus, and I wish that more admissions offices understood this, too. I think they are often overlooked and misunderstood, but really, they can add a richness to the campus culture that few others can. I think that often when colleges talk about "diversity", they define it very narrowly and along very traditional lines. My dream is that one day more and more people will focus on diversity of thought and experiences.
Me: Thank you for your words. I agree with you completely. Whether TCKs or not, there are many people who would like to find a definition of 'diversity' that was less protected with ideologically protective and protected armor.
Becky: I'm in total agreement with you, Parke. Ruth Van Reken, author of "Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds" (and who made a cameo appearance in the film) would like to change the conversation about TCKs to now include "CCKs", or Cross-Cultural Kids. She wants our conversation to be even more inclusive so that we embrace all kinds of kids who have a different kind of cultural and life experience. I attended a symposium she organized on the topic and invited diversity directors of various universities in hopes of getting academia to see that diversity is not just about ethnicity. Diversity of thought and life experiences often has nothing to do with what one sees on the outside.
Me: Your last sentence should be printed and posted on the walls of every admission officer (and really just about every other wall I can think of).
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Do you agree with our point of view? Why or why not?
How do you define diversity?
If this student is biracial with one parent being African American, would this change your perception of the student? If so, in what ways?
If this student is biracial with one parent being Asian, would this change your perception of the student? If so, in what ways?
Are your answers to the last two questions the same? Should they be? Why or why not?
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