The (Super) Power of Words: Media, Law, and Learning

How does an international student earn a full scholarship to one of the top 10 law schools In the US? I have been in education for 3 decades and this is the first time I know someone who accomplished this extraordinary feat. Most top 10 law schools don’t give merit scholarships and those that do give almost all of them to US citizens.

In parts 1 and 2 of my interview with Kexin, she described her journey to the US as an exchange student from China, her experience applying to universities, and her exceptional success in and out of the classroom at her university. Here she describes what she learned about the differences in the way media works in China and the US. After that, she talks about how she approached becoming a attorney and applying to law school. For those interested in seeing a successful personal statement to law school her words show she knows about the way culture both unites and separates us.

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-What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of journalism in the US and in China?

 This is a big question to answer, and my experience in journalism in both societies is still very limited. I can only speak from my own opinion of the media as a reader and my internship experience in both American and Chinese media outlets. Certainly, journalists in the U.S. enjoy more freedom and more protection compared to journalists in China. This is why American journalists are able to serve a more influential function as the watchdogs of society. However, in both countries, the people who choose to become journalists are people who truly feel passionate about people, about stories, and about the changes they might have the power to make. What I don’t like so much about American media is that they are often too politicized, especially when it comes to reporting on other countries that the U.S. is involved in. However, I guess this situation holds true in other countries as well, including China. When American people think of China, they probably think of authoritarian regime, human rights violations, pollution, aggression, and potential threat. When Chinese people think of the U.S., they think of terrorist attacks, unfriendly foreign policies, Hollywood, and greedy bankers. I believe that journalists play a critical role in the perception of foreign countries in their daily coverage. I hope there could be more “soft” news that is outside the sphere of politics and conflicts. Before we can achieve that, maybe we need to first redefine what constitutes “newsworthy.” In addition, I wish foreign correspondents in all countries could do more homework before they cover a foreign conflict, which includes the local culture and history, so they would have more comprehensive background knowledge before they were sent to the fields. Many great American foreign correspondents are doing a great job understanding the local situation, and they became almost a historian, language expert and international relations scholar. The more we know about something, the harder it often is to draw a conclusion, because the truth is almost always more complicated than it appears to be.

In terms of journalists in China, I know that some people go in journalism because it actually is a good job, and you would receive bribery sometimes when you cover certain things or events. Or, it could be a horrible job, a job that generates a lot of risks everyday. A good journalist in China has to be really smart to decide what story to write, how to write it, and when to publish it. You cannot be too outspoken or you would lose the limited power you have in your hands, but you still want to write something that is still newsworthy, that will do at least some good to the society. The good thing is that the door does have a narrow opening that allows Chinese journalists to do that. It’s a compromise, a grey area. I admire their courage and the pressure they carry. And I hope the open will open wider in the future. But I can say for sure that the situation has become better than before, especially with the help of the Internet and the international flow of people. Now is a very exciting time to be a journalist in China, to witness the tremendous changes the country is going through and to be a part of the motion.

-Can you talk about the law firm you interned for? How did you go about obtaining the internship?

I didn’t have a formal law “firm” internship. They often require a two-year commitment, so I didn’t apply when I graduated because I wanted to focus on preparing for the LSAT. (Parke’s note: see part 2 for a description of her LSAT prep.)

 After I finished my law school applications at the beginning of this year, I actually started doing three legal related internships. I was a social media intern for the Asian American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (AALDEF), a non-profit organization in New York dedicated to advocate for the rights of Asian Americans. I stayed in Virginia and volunteered for the organization remotely online. My job every morning was to survey the news and publish twitter and Facebook posts for the organization. I found this position online and submitted my application; luckily, I was selected after a round of interviews. Then every afternoon, I worked in a private attorney’s office in Virginia. The attorney is a friend of my host family and I knew them when I was in high school. I learned a lot about what is like to be a lawyer by interning in his office and attending court meetings with him. Every Thursday, I also volunteered at the Virginia Legal Aid Society. I was searching for possible legal work and saw that Legal Aid has a local branch in town. They didn’t post any job openings, but I managed to get in touch with the director of the local office and volunteered myself. Luckily, she responded to my emails and met with me and gave me this opportunity to help with the work of Legal Aid. I was able to assist attorneys to provide legal help to poor people. The people there really valued my skills and took the time to teach me legal work. I loved the experience there. It was informative and fulfilling.

Kexin in DC

-Can you describe how you went about choosing which law schools to apply to?

This is an easy question but you might be disappointed with my answer. After I took the LSAT the second time and received a satisfying score, many law schools provided me a fee waiver to apply, including many top ones. I think I applied to almost all of the top 20 schools and a couple top 50 schools just to be safe. It’s a time-consuming process, but not that costly. (Parke’s note: Kexin earned an exceptionally high LSAT score which is why schools encouraged her to apply and offered a fee waiver.) 

-You are one of the few students who received a offer of a full scholarship to attend a top ten law school. It is almost unheard of for someone from China to get this kind of scholarship. What is it about you that stood out among the many exceptional applicants?

I should ask you this question since you are really the expert in terms of admission. I am not sure what makes me stand out besides the fact that law schools do value LSAT score and GPA a lot. However, my LSAT score is not perfect and I am sure there are many other students with higher scores, more honors, and better internships. All I can say is that I tried to do everything I could to develop skills and experiences that would stand out. I tried to use my four years of undergraduate education well, build an outstanding resume, sustain a good GPA, and receive good recommendations. I studied hard for the LSAT, edited my application essays a million times… I also visited the law schools, attended classes, talked to the admission staff and professors, and kept in touch with the school. Perhaps it’s just because I am used to putting 200% effort into whatever I do, and when the results do come back 100%, I am often not really surprised. Lastly, I just stayed true to myself.

-You have decided to enroll at NYU for law school which also offered you a scholarship. You had some tough decisions to make. Can you tell us why you decided to choose NYU?

It was a REALLY tough decision to make. You see, being offered money is not always a good thing! The major reason why I chose NYU was because it has the best programs in international law and Asian law, both my top interests. Its location, the diverse environment and proximity to the UN also have a big advantage. I am well aware that the cost of living will be higher in the city, but I want to be challenged, thrive in the environment and excel. 

-What would like to be doing as an attorney? Do you see yourself staying in the US?

Right now I am interested in international law, first amendment issues, Asian law, immigration law, among others. The first-year curriculum is pretty much the same among all law schools in the US and the students need to take all the basic subjects of law. I might have new interests during law school or narrow down my interests. I am leaving my options wide open. Whichever areas of law that I will be practicing, I want to be able to utilize my advantage as an international person. Staying and working in the U.S. is a possibility if my visa allows this to happen. I also dream about working in the United Nations. I don’t mind where I work as long as the work is meaningful. 

-What are the biggest changes you see in yourself after all your experiences?

This is a hard one to answer. I think it’s a way of thinking that I developed. It enables me to fear less no matter where I travel or what I choose to do. With more experiences comes more confidence when dealing with unexpected situations. With a broader horizon comes a more peaceful state of mind when facing new things and the unknown. I am more curious, more independent, and more open minded.

-What advice do you have for students in China who are thinking of coming to the US? What sills should they try to learn before coming and what things should they do once they arrive?

These are the questions that my magazine is designed to answer. (Parke’s note: see part 2 for a description of Red Rope, the magazine she created.) But if a friend in China asks me for advice, I would tell him or to do his own research rather than listening to what others say, and try to figure out what is it that he wants and what is the best way to achieve his goal. Don’t go to the US just because everyone else is doing it. It’s not as good as they advertise, and not as bad as some believe. The American Dream is different for everyone, so it is best to know what your dream is first. Once they are in the U.S., I hope they will break out their comfort zones of Chinese friends, embrace the local culture, be fearless, have fun and make American friends. There are more things they can do when they are here than things they can prepare beforehand. Language can be learned quickly if they make the effort and immerse themselves in the environment. Their futures  depend on themselves once they are abroad. I hope all the students in the US could treasure the opportunities and experiences.

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Those who take the time to read all 3 parts of Kexin’s interview may begin to see why I called her superwoman in part 1. I am not suggesting she has powers beyond mere mortals; instead, I am trying to underscore that she has taken what she has and developed her strengths while also learning new skills in ways very few of us ever do.

But she also seems to have earned her place in the Justice League too. Her concern for others, from the US and China, from all races and socioeconomic backgrounds too, demonstrate that the secret to success comes from the heart and the mind working together. I use the word work purposefully as Kexin has developed the ability to put in the time and effort to learn, improve and grow. We all have this capacity but her attitude and her unceasing effort make her stand out.

Clearly, I am not the only one to feel this way about Kexin. Her acceptance to many of the top law schools with merit aid suggests that those in education know a star when they see one.  I know that Kexin has a very bright future ahead of her and I know that she will be helping those around the country and the world too. Her ethical approach to life and work will make a positive difference.

I am grateful to Kexin to sharing her wisdom. It took a great deal of effort on her part to share her story and she did it for the sole reason of helping others.

Below is the essay she submitted to law schools. It too demonstrates that she not only can write exceptionally well (and English isn’t even her first language), but that she understands what diversity means far more than most people I have ever met. Her family story represents the stunningly rapid changes going on in China. Her experience in the US demonstrates she understands both the American and Chinese dream can be attained today. Global citizens like her give me hope for the next generation.

Kexin showing off her superpowers?

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When I applied to the exchange student program to come to the United States for a year, my father threatened to destroy my passport. I was 16 years old and, as with most families in China, the only child. “If you were older or if you were a boy, I would let you go,” he kept saying. The America as he knew from the news was a place filled with terrorists, campus shootings and greedy capitalism. My persistence, along with my mother’s global vision and the promise of a better education, finally convinced him to allow me to travel alone for 17 hours and stay with an American host family that I had never met.

Contrary to my father’s concerns, the America I first saw was a rural town in Virginia called Farmville where people drive tractors, hunt deer and shop for everything at Walmart. Where the memory of massive resistance against desegregation still lingered, the private high school I attended was formerly a segregation academy and had only one African-American student. One time, the dean bribed students with free waffles so they would talk to the exchange students. Another time, the only Jewish girl in the school lost her notebook and found it two days later with the word “Jew!” scratched all over it.

My mom taught me when I was in second grade to smile at the girl who always gave me angry stares. I smiled three times and she asked to be my best friend. I did exactly that throughout my high school year in Farmville. In fact, I didn’t feel discriminated against, just misunderstood. Although China takes pride in its diversity with 56 ethnic minority groups, we have a different concept of “race”—if the term exists at all. To me, Asian-Americans are a separate species from Chinese international students. The barrier lies in cross-cultural communications. For the first time in my life, I became the embodiment of my entire culture, and I had an urge to educate and explain. So I created the first Chinese Culture Club in my high school, chose to study International Relations in college, and designed the first bilingual magazine for all Chinese students in the U.S. as my capstone project.

At Syracuse, where non-Caucasians made up half of the student body, I found the cultural misunderstandings not only exist on the individual level but also in professional fields. In American politics, “China” signifies outsourcing of manufacturing jobs, authoritarian government, predatory lender and military threats. Through an American education about my homeland, I put myself in the difficult but rewarding position of challenging everything I grew up learning about China and to look at the country from an often critical point of view. I was also the first Chinese student to graduate from the magazine department at Newhouse School. As the only foreigner in the classroom, I often tried to incorporate diversity issues into the discussion. The coverage of China in Western media sometimes irritates me, but I saw a broader problem that connects international reporting with the lack of diversity  in the media workforce. Foreign correspondents need to understand the local culture before they can provide balanced reporting. I realized very soon that my non-American perspectives might help my classmates think twice once they became reporters.

As I moved toward the American workforce, a step closer to the real world, I found that many of the merits cherished by my culture became counterproductive. When working  in a White and Male dominated Public Relations firm located near the White House, I followed my Confucian traditions as a subordinate—I didn’t speak much because I was the humble student, I refrained from “causing trouble” and waited to be recognized for my hard work. I blended in so well that I was almost invisible.

An assignment from the firm’s Japanese client, Hitachi, changed my attitude. When I used my understanding of the East Asian culture to analyze the electronics conglomerate’s advertising campaigns and evaluate how to improve the brand in the North American market, I recognized that I had an advantage with my differences. Gradually, I started to offer my opinions during team meetings,

participate in company happy hours, and reach out to other superiors for more responsibilities. A higher diploma and paycheck may guarantee a decent living, but they don’t indicate integration into the society. It is when each person’s difference plays a vital part in a community that it can be truly diverse.

The Cultural Revolution interrupted my parents’ chance to attend college. They spent their youth working in farms and factories while my grandfather was imprisoned for his “rightist” title as an army general. Their generation could not dream. Instead, they have invested everything so I could receive the best education and fulfill my own dreams. Americans are often puzzled, sometimes even offended, by the Asian obsession with studying. In China, it is the only way to get ahead in life for most people. Being a “minority” is a privilege; it means I am challenging my comfort zones and breaking glass ceilings. I will continue to be a proud minority in the demanding field of law. By challenging myself, I am also tearing down the stereotypes I may represent to others. Eventually, the legal field—and the law itself—will become more representative.

On her way up in the world