An Introduction

I am a junior at a Pasadena private school, and I am excited to be a part of my school’s Global Scholar program for the 2019-2020 school year. I have been studying both Chinese and Spanish at Poly since the ninth grade and am currently in Chinese III and Spanish V Comunidad. After having studied Spanish since I was five years old, I have reached a fairly proficient level that allows me to take part in a volunteer program called “Healing Hearts Across Borders.” This organization provides medical care to underprivileged communities in Tijuana, and having the opportunity to volunteer with them has sparked my interest in exploring global problems (http://www.hhab.org). My proficiency in Chinese is much lower than my level in Spanish as I am only beginning my journey with this language; however, I have practiced my Chinese skills, explored my interest in the language, and connected with my heritage through my school’s Global Initiative Program’s trip to China, which I have written about in the attached link (http://polygipchina.blogspot.com). I have recently gained an interest in public health and the different health issues that affect our world, such as insufficient health care in Tijuana and the lack of safe, clean water in Africa. Both of my parents have immigrated to the United States from Africa, so we are supporting an organization called Wells Bring Hope, which raises money to fund the construction of wells in Africa (https://wellsbringhope.org/). I am excited to be able to further research and explore both global connections and global issues with the Global Scholar’s Program.