–by Senior Blogger Ashley Zhou

Time has fled so fast, and suddenly it’s graduation season. I’ve been in the United States for almost three years. I have experienced both the happiest moments and the hardest times. If I can use a simple phrase to describe what America has taught me over the past three years, I will say, “America has taught me to ‘grow up.'”

I remembered when I first got out of the plane after a twelve-hour flight. I was so happy and excited to meet my first host family. But, things didn’t go as well as I thought. The lady in the little cell asked me about the signature on my I-20. I had no idea what was wrong with it, but something was. So, to put it simply, I was brought to a sealed room with people who looked extremely desperate in it. I was scared and didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have an American SIM card, so I had no way to contact my host family and let them know I was detained. So, I did a stupid thing and texted my mom. It was four o’clock in the morning in China, and my mom was worried to death. After waiting for like 20 minutes, they figured out what was going on with my I-20 and let me go. Nothing happened to me, and I met with my host family smoothly. In the evening, I got a message from my dad. He asked me how I was doing and said something I would never forget, “Baby, if you ever encounter something like this in the future, tell me, then we can figure out what to do. Don’t tell your mom. She will be worried, and this is not her fault. She doesn’t know about these situations, and she can’t do anything but be worried about you.” I felt so guilty for letting my mom worry about me. But this is what all mothers do; they worry and worry and worry. So, the second time I got into the secondary room upon arrival in a US airport, I didn’t say anything but let my family know I arrived safely. I’ve learned how to protect my family.

As we grow up, we see other people and ourselves in different lights. We are getting to know more about ourselves and have a more clear idea about who we want to be in the future. What I want to say is that in America, everyone’s talent is valued. There are artists, athletes, politicians, actors, writers, bookworms, scientists, musicians, and multipotentialites (elites who have multiple skills and potentials) in our school. They can be extroverts or introverts, and that doesn’t really matter. Even the slightest advantage in one person can be enlarged and appreciated. It sounds so easy a concept, but it is so hard to achieve and once achieved, it is actually amazing. I wonder so many times why my poor Chinese peers have to live a different life. Parents don’t understand that behind the ruthless and meaningless competitions between grades, their kids’ talents have been depraved.

Human beings tend to bully the weak and fear the strong. This is a universal phenomenon. But, I also have learned that this is totally wrong. Nobody should ever think or act this way. Being kind doesn’t mean being weak, and being rude doesn’t mean being strong. I hope everyone thinks the best of everyone. I guess this is called maturity.

These are some precious lessons I’ve learned from Ms. America, and I am sure there’s more to learn about growing up.

–Edited by Jordan King