Many young people in Africa dream of getting an opportunity/scholarship to come and study abroad, and when they are granted that opportunity it feels like a really huge fulfillment for them- interestingly, this was the case for me. I’m thousands…
La scuola Italiana
Three years ago, I decided to take a leap of faith and study abroad in a small medieval town just North of Rome called Viterbo. I stayed with a family in the village, who spoke no English and had…
Defining Freedom
Defining Freedom When I was a child, I loved visiting my uncle’s house in the countryside. He raised sheep, and I enjoyed watching them. They lived a simple, unassuming life, and even though I visited them every day, they were…
My View of Chinese Examinations
When I was very young, adults told me that every student in China would face two major exams: the high school and university entrance examinations. These two examinations are the most important entrance exams in China, respectively determining the chances…
The Distance Was Never the Point
I grew up in Rangpur, Bangladesh believing that culture was the great divider. That the way people ate, learned, and gathered with each other was fundamentally shaped by where they were born, and that crossing an ocean meant crossing into…
Eight Minutes and Twenty Seconds to Myself
Eight Minutes and Twenty Seconds to Myself I thought I was applying to schools. In reality, I was learning how to understand myself. Every year on March 10th, for many students who apply to American high schools, is a special…