Why GIP?
"What experiences have awakened your interest and will help you contribute to the Global Initiatives Program at Poly? In what ways do you hope that the Global Scholars Program will expand and deepen your global perspectives?"
Poly constantly boasts its mission to “develop the intellect, talents, and character of each student in a community of learning dedicated to principles of academic excellence that values the uniqueness and dignity of each member and fosters personal responsibility and service to others.” As a middle schooler, I saw this mission as purely academic, and so I worked hard solely in the academic realm of education. Poly clearly succeeds with creating an environment that encourages academic excellence through small classes, dedicated teachers, and rigorous courses. During my transition from the Poly middle school to high school, I began to realize that while the traditional academic curriculum covered the majority of my education at Poly, it still left huge gaps in my personal growth. Tests cannot accurately predict how one will serve one’s society in the future. At the same time, I became more aware of the floating words “Global Scholar” and “Global Initiatives Program” that accompanied several of my senior friends’ individual projects and events. By sophomore year, I began to attend many of the events for fun, unaware that I unconsciously was receiving an education that I could not find in my classrooms.
When the PS 161 students from China came to Poly for a short homestay, I was reluctant to volunteer because I would be hosting them on my birthday. I ended up hosting two great girls who told me a lot about their school and about Beijing, and they helped to reinforce my decision to study in SYA China. I wanted to meet people like them – motivated, high achieving, and eager to see the world. Besides making me realize that my Chinese was more horrifyingly broken than I previously imagined, they also helped me see China through a non-western perspective that my parents had tried giving my blind eye for so many years. Out of many of the GIP events that I have participated in, hosting these two students left the largest mark on me.
I think that the Global Initiatives Program creates a platform for students to be uncomfortable with the level of ignorance that they have about the world. We know much less about the world than we will ever realize. The program encourages students who are willing to put in the work to seek answers for the burning questions that they have about global issues, and I think that this is very important for fostering personal growth. Although the program may not be the ultimate solution to creating truly “global scholars” and many of the events may not be life-changing for one’s development, the Global Initiatives Program helps create scholars who are eager to seek a global education in the topics that they really care about.