Every part of my YYGS experience has been transformative and has empowered me to drive change in my community. YYGS exposed me to diversity and that has taught me to value and respect other peoples ideas. Through YYGS I’ve grown in being confident and firm in what I believe.
Due to the lack of interpersonal communication over two years, the concept of “introducing ourselves” was rather ancient. After hearing everyone’s background, the candle of socializing and excitement is finally lit after two years of COVID darkness. We laughed together as a family, we exchanged perspectives on lectures, we made life-longing connections… Although from different parts of the world speaking different native tones, we are forever the group 3 family even today.
Working on a project of social responsibility, I became more convinced that improving educational equality is my goal. Fascinated by peer’s idea of creating an online platform providing free education, I actualized this plan by reaching out to educators to design a curriculum that is culturally appropriate and suits the intellectual levels of children ranging from the age of 7 to 17.
The lectures themselves also explored global perspectives, with a standout being a discussion on Japanese media by Professor Aaron Gerow, which was eye-opening in its discussion of the effect that different cinematography styles have on our understanding of a film. These lectures, in addition to the interactive seminars and breakout discussions, had the cumulative effect of a greater understanding of my place as a global citizen.
Looking back, I consider myself extremely fortunate to be a part of the YYGS family and have had the opportunity to meet truly amazing people because it helped me discover what I truly enjoy doing, which is my passion for writing and using my creativity to influence others. YYGS not only sparked new interests in studies, but it also provided an opportunity to push myself to do better.
The lectures and seminars I attended have inspired me to seek change in the world; these inspirational and brilliant people who I was able to get in contact with showed me that positive, impactful change in the world is very possible.
As a student who truly values the power of voices, Yale Young Global Scholars gave me a perception into different ideals and the significance of diversity throughout our nations. Thomas Berry once said, “The greater the diversity, the greater the perfection”. This rings true in many aspects, and my time at YYGS managed to encompass that ideal.
The impact panel was the most influential for me. The YYGS Alums’ discussion on how they implemented community-wide initiatives set a foundation for me to pursue a similar goal. Seeing people of the same age achieve real change was extremely inspiring. After my session, I began brainstorming ways to implement a more sustainable environment in my own community. The information they shared taught me crucial lessons and provided important information that allowed me to form an initiative myself. I still use notes from the panel to help push the movement forward in my community.
My favorite lecture was by Mr. Ted Wittenstein on the future of Artificial Intelligence in global security. Even though I originally had little interest in AI, this lecture actually piqued my interest in cybersecurity and helped me realize what an asset AI can be to world governments.
What struck me initially, was the wide array of information in which you are exposed to on a daily basis. Although I joined initially for my interest in neuroscience and psychology, I thoroughly enjoyed all the lectures from the professors. From converting greenhouse gasses into useful material, to learning about black holes, these brilliant scholars have opened my eyes to many new possibilities.
