Pang Yulu from China

A new culture and experiences have moulded me into a better person. As many international students experienced, I boarded my flight to Vancouver with trepidation and excitement to begin this incredible journey. Surprisingly, as a newcomer to a foreign country, I was able to appreciate the kindness and friendliness of the locals within the first few months of my arrival in Abbotsford. My first day in Abbotsford seems to have stayed with me for the rest of my life. When I arrived, I became disorientated in my new surroundings, and my phone ran out of battery as well, forcing me to seek assistance from a stranger due to the lack of Google Maps. If I remember correctly, it was a rainy and snowy night, and I knocked on door after door, dragging my wet clothes and shoes, patiently introducing myself, apologizing for bothering them, and explaining the purpose of borrowing a charger. However, all of the models did not match, and I had to leave disappointed. Suddenly, I was unexpectedly approached by an elderly couple who offered me a charger and drove me home. I could still see their kind eyes, which did not leave until I walked into my house. Such a thoughtful gesture warmed not only my heart in that cold winter when I was lost, but also my teenage heart when I was alone and far away from home. Another story that comes to my mind is the one about the local bus driver. One time I had waited for a bus for a long time, but the one I was about to board stopped in front of me, and the driver informed me that something was wrong. Despite the fact that this washer first encounter with me, she seemed to understand my predicament right away and asked where she should drop me off before driving me home. I could not forget that it was a warm spring afternoon with a light breeze, and the sun was beating down on her dedicated face. I could not take my gaze away from her because she was as bright as the sun. There were many more of these encounters with strangers, and they were a great source of spiritual support for me as I battled cultural differences in a foreign land. At the same time, the integration with my local host family gave me a better understanding of Canadian culture and manners. Every time when I went for a walk with my host mother, I noticed her greeting strangers and neighbours who passed by politely, exchanging brief but cordial greetings. This gesture touched my heart so much that I imitated her and greeted the traffic cop I met every morning at school, and every time I said "Have a great day," he would smile with delight, Every time I saw this, it made me proud as well. Apart from nights of crying on my pillow and the loneliness of other people's family reunions, I have learned that there are many things in life for which I should strive and love. As Winston Churchill said, "The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” So I have learnt to take advantage of every opportunity that comes my way; I am grateful to the teachers I have met for all of their help and patience over the last two years; I am grateful for the warmth brought to me by friends from all over the world, and  I           appreciate for those who have been kind enough to help me, as well as to those wonderful and humble people. I also have to thank the experiences that taught me to remain calm in the face of adversity and shaped me into a thorough, independent and strong person.

Activities

January 2019 Volunteered at UFV (wrestling). February 2019 Volunteered to sell smoothies at UFV.

Post-Secondary Plans

I applied for the University of Toronto, UBC, University of Ottawa, McMaster University, University of Alberta, and Asper School of Business. So far I only got UT, UBC, University of Ottawa, and the University of Alberta. Some of these schools were also awarded scholarships. After high school, I plan to attend the University of Toronto or UBC to study finance, business administration, or international trade-related subjects, work with numbers, and possibly undertake some problem-solving courses. If I have the time, I would also like to learn video editing after school and earn some extra money on the internet. If the opportunity arises, I would like to lead a finance team in some capacity in the future. I’m looking forward to working with teams like legal and procurement to develop streamlined processes—it naturally fits with my business administration background I will be studying. One reason this job stood out to me was that it calls for a candidate with organizational expertise, which I possessed.. I’ve heard inspirational managers from my parents' company which I really admired and would love to manage my own team like them in a few years.