“Getting to know new people from various countries was my favorite part of YYGS Connect. Hearing their different opinions on the same topic, I enjoyed engaging in debate with them in seminars and breakout sessions. Most of all, it reinforced to me that people from different continents could have such differing but also very similar views on certain issues. I was reminded that looking at everything from different angles is imperative to have an objective and accurate world view.”
“My favorite lecture was, ‘Understanding the Backlash Against Globalization Theory and Data,’ presented by Professor Peter Schott. Although I had previously taken economics and was exposed to many of the ideas and models mentioned in the lecture, I was fascinated by the real-world connections that Professor Schott made, such as the impact of trade on manufacturing as well as recent economic changes due to the pandemic.
“The student leaders of YYGS have taught me that no matter the circumstance, you can always find a way to learn, collaborate, and make an impact.”
I started my youth-based organization, Creatively Asian, dedicated to connecting Asian youth around the world through the creative arts. Creatively Asian was an initiative that I thought of in the heat of the COVID-19 pandemic, around April of 2020, with hatred towards Asian Americans on the rise and xenophobia being justified due to the virus.
“Given the opportunity to choose from hundreds of different seminars, I was able to explore my specific interests in STEM (and even explore some that I never even knew existed). Even my Capstone research project– where we explored the use of 3D printed live cells as a replacement for the skin graft– really shaped my academic interests and left me with a greater understanding of the scientific and academic climate.”
“At Yale Young Global Scholars, I felt like a little child again, full of curiosity and pure wonder of what the world holds. I gained a thirst and appreciation for learning like I never had before.”
I started the Youth in Science and Engineering Club, or YES!, as a group that would do the following things: look at things beyond what our curriculum requires, engineer solutions to help our community, and help create a community that would inspire more youth to pursue careers in STEM.
“As a Chinese-American who grew up in a predominantly Chinese neighborhood, YYGS expanded the horizons of my world.”
Public schools have been empirically plagued with constant issues like underfunding and chronic absenteeism. Seeing the vast difference between public and private schools, I decided to call for change in the public school system.
“Although YYGS ended six months ago, I am still in contact with many of my friends that I met during the program. Every day I get to see their amazing projects unfold from the other side of the world; they inspire me to take action and also bring my passions to life. The connections I made at YYGS will last for my entire lifetime.”
“Listening to presentations about the research that was currently being performed at Yale sparked my interest in fields I had no prior knowledge about, like biomedical engineering. Christopher Anderson’s tissue engineering research at Yale’s Qyang Lab and Melanie Reschke’s tissue engineering research at Saltzmann’s Lab resonated within me, and I left Yale inspired to conduct biomedical research of my own.”
“I had never fully understood the importance of diversity in academic and social contexts, nor had I ever experienced it in its true form prior to my time in the YYGS program. I’d had classes with students from different counties, different states, and different ethnic backgrounds before, and that I considered to be diversity. My peers brought their own, truly unique experiences into the discussion, bringing us ideas and insights that would have never seen the light of day in their absence. It was both humbling and enlightening.”
“It was a thrilling experience to know what opportunities and challenges people face outside my country, their traditions and lifestyles, their definitions of humanity, etc. The impact of YYGS is long-lasting.”
