“YYGS Family Time provided me with opportunities to hear voices coming from different corners of the world. Here is one of my most unforgettable discussions: after we watched Ted Talk “The danger of a single story” together, every member was encouraged to share the stereotypes we or people around us suffered. The prejudices of the first-generation immigrants, study abroad students, and mentally ill patients caution me to be more critical of presumptions of certain groups of people and further inspire me to look at the costs such as campus bullying brought by stereotypes.”
Since my school relatively lacks international education resources, students planning to study abroad usually have a difficult time finding helpful guidance. Having self-studied for AP tests and competitions, I am not a stranger to the anxiety, puzzlement, and difficulty faced by many of my peers. Realizing that my experiences—as well as those of other seniors who had struggled along the same path as me—could provide invaluable help to younger students, I established Peer-to-Peer, the first online experience sharing platform in our school, aiming to help underclass students clearly plan their study pathways.
Thus, the first step I took was to recruit mentors from my grade and then list several sections we were to work on, including recommending activities and summer-schools, tutoring competitions and standardized tests, and sharing college application experiences. Also, we welcomed underclass students to ask questions and sign up for individual guidance. For several students interested in the humanities, I grouped weekly discussions of topical social issues and regularly recommended relevant books and articles for them.
Currently more than 100 students participate in our Peer-to-Peer Program, I am proud that it motivates students to pursue their passions and encourages cooperation among the student community.