Changing the World Through Language

Personal Statement     
     Growing up poor and chronically ill I underperformed academically and was socially promoted until, threatened with repeating the eighth grade, a teacher named Jami Rosen insisted that I take NYC’s Specialized High Schools Admissions Test. However, without further support and mentorship I failed out of Stuyvesant High School. Years later while helping a childhood friend suffering from addiction, I grew a desire to advocate for individuals who do not have a voice of their own and applied to college. Initially refused admission to my eighth-grade teacher’s Alma Mater, I eventually shared my story with the school’s Director of Admissions who allowed me to take their entrance exam. Matriculating into Queens College was one of the happiest moments of my life.

     As the first person in my family to enter college I took advantage of the broad study available, was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and traveled to a research conference for minority students where I learned that the United States considers minority students’ intellectual ability a prized commodity. However, due to minorities having appalling numbers of enrollment (15% Black, 15% Hispanic) in higher education I quickly understood the demanding need for minority role models and became a member of the peer-to-peer minority mentoring program Project Excellence through Community, Education, and Leadership.

     Desiring to be an agent of change, after graduating from college I joined Teach For America (TFA) so that I could inform a new generation of minority students about the possibilities available in higher education and met students like Melchi, who had repeated the seventh grade. Sharing with Melchi similar struggles I had at his age, he started attending my tutorials while working to become a classroom leader. Melchi turned his grades around, maintained a 90 average, and passed into the eighth grade stating my belief in him made him realize that “I’m not stupid [and] I could do better.”

     After individual successes in TFA, I moved to China on a Fulbright grant to study Mandarin and met Michelle Obama. She explained that people learning other languages leads to respecting each other’s cultures while building bridges of understanding that international communities depend on. Additionally, due to poverty and a lack of role models, out of the Americans who travel abroad few are minorities (5% Black, 7% Hispanic). Learning these facts, I immediately volunteered to mentor ethnically diverse students at the inaugural US-China Student Summit. Cultivating an environment where students expressed themselves without fear of judgment, a rural Chinese student shared that her prejudices of minorities had changed after meeting a Black female student who also loved Asian culture. 

Meeting Michelle Obama

      Inclusion of minorities in study abroad programs is urgently necessary, and I am dedicated to developing an organization charged with increasing minority participation in Chinese study abroad programs. Financially poor and a minority language student myself, I am asking for support as the scholarship I am under (Huayu Enrichment Scholarship) is only a partial scholarship and my becoming fluent in Mandarin will serve as a beacon for minorities who believe they do not have the ability to study Mandarin Chinese. 

My current plan (Transformational Scientist- Eps 23):

Finish the year of Mandarin study (required for Blakemore grant) *ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

Get certified to teach English as a second language and teach English in Taiwan for 2 years (required for a Global MBA program). *UNCHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED

Study at NTU's Global MBA program for 2 years to work on my from birth to college mentorship initiative. 

Receive the Blakemore grant and study Mandarin in Beijing, China while being mentored with Dr. Ran Tao.

Request (UPDATE 11/27)
Due to the help ofo so many I am in the process of getting a work permit so that I can continue working at a high standard buxiban in Taiwan Taipei. We have raised over $9600 towards all my original goals.

The last $400 raised will go directly to paying off the housing debts incurred during my previous year of study. I've been blessed to have a landlord who believes in me and has deferred payment of rent while I finish fundraising and begin working. This final amount will remove debt which will make it easier for me to support others with a $5000 scholarship for a student of colour to study abroad.

With my first month of work quickly upon me and reciving my first full month of salary (December 5th) I've decided to end my fund raising efforts on that date. Additionally, regardless of how difficult it is (paying back housing, supporting my Great-Grandmother, taxes, health insurence, etc) there is NOTHING that is going to stop me from saving the money needed to support a student abroad (from my earnings). 

Additionally, I will be raising an additional $1000 to support some people  (or some of their causes) who helped me keep moving forward over the past year. Last, I'll be sending out all donated items in January as December is destined to be a very busy month for me.  

If I do manage to go over my goal in these last few weeks, I promise to match the overrun and will donate it to a  charity that focus on the suffering of cancer in the names of two people who have dealt with the horros of cancer, Elizabeth Whaley and Li Zhen (Jenny).

4Seas1Family - Audio Podcast - JAMAR WHALEY: OVERCOMING SOCIOECONOMIC BARRIERS TO HELP PROMOTE EDUCATIONAL EXCHANGES ABROAD

Personal Video Background (China / Study Abroad)

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