SUU Festival of Excellence 2018

Today, I hope to inspire you to take chances and dream big by telling my own story. Ask me a year ago what I would be doing at this point in time, and I wouldn’t be able to tell you. My dreams and what my future could look like has always motivated me. But it wasn’t until college that I began to see the infinite possibilities of what I could make my future become.
I first experienced China at 14 years old, and I fell in love with the food, culture, and people of Asia. I began studying Chinese a few months prior to visiting China, and while there I was considered a novelty—a blonde American who understood, and could respond to, what people were saying. Their eyes were filled with wonder, and I knew in that moment I wanted to dedicate my time to learning the language. Five years later, my language study continues, and I couldn’t be happier.
I have challenged myself to learn more and to improve myself. Because I worked diligently to prepare, my dream of returning to China is now a reality. Beginning in September of this year, I will study abroad in Changsha, China, for approximately four months.
My message is one of hope: Our dreams may seem far-fetched, but, in the end, they are always worth it. Excellence is always worth chasing. Ask me today where I will be in a year, and I will say: “I will be changing the world. I know I will because my own world has changed by simply chasing my dreams.”
Dream big. Take a chance. Believe in yourself. And believe it or not, there will always be people that support you. So go. Today is the day. Chase after your dreams, because they’re worth it.