I am applying to this program because I have great interest in the Chinese language and culture

and also because I think Chinese is a fascinating and extremely rich language. I recognize the
importance of the Chinese language in global terms. Being able to speak Mandarin will open
opportunities to work, live, communicate, and understand a country that is gaining importance
and influence in the world rapidly. The study of the Chinese language opens the way to different
important fields such as Chinese politics, economy, and science and technology. As an engineer, I
realize that like other STEM industry fields, engineering jobs are increasingly global.
Engineering advancements typically arent limited to a single country or market, and
multilingual communication is critical when multinational targets are involved. Foreign language
skills are essential for making global communications happen, and the ability to speak any
language, even the less common ones can make a big difference. China has the second largest
economy in the world. Knowing Chinese will allow me to compete effectively in the global
economy of the future. In my time abroad I would like to gain a genuine and authentic
experience and integration into the Chinese culture. After doing the Summer Language Program
in Beijing I would continue my studies of the Chinese language and culture and as a chemical
engineer, I would hope to be able to transfer my technical skills on a more global level. I am very
fast learner and most importantly I think that my genuine interest in the Chinese language and
culture will translate to my dedication to learning the language and immersing myself in the
culture as best as possible during the time of the program. A time when I was able to appreciate
and adjust to an unfamiliar experience was when I celebrated Diwali, a Hindu festival, with my
friend and her family. The celebration was very grand and although I was the only non-Hindu
individual, I tried to take part in as much of the celebration as possible. I participated in the
decoration with Rangoli and in the henna hand designs. I was not able to participate in Padwa,
and Bhai dooj because they are traditional rituals, and I was not aware how to properly carry out
these rituals. Although I was not able to participate in these rituals, I just stood back and
observed the rituals taking place. Even though I was not able to participate in all aspects of the
Diwali celebration, being able to observe the celebration traditions and rituals deepened my
understanding of the significance of the Diwali celebration.

I think that one of the most aspects of learning a language is also learning the culture of that
language because I think that language and culture go hand in hand. The excursions and cultural
activities that this program provides are especially appealing to me because they would allow me
to immerse myself into the Chinese culture. Some of the activities included in the program are
group trips to historic and cultural sites including: Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City, the
Great Wall, the Temple of Heaven, watching an acrobatic show (Chaoyang Theater) and a Peking
Opera show (Huguang Theater). These sites are very important to the Chinese culture and I think
that is essential to have knowledge of the culture of the language that I will be learning. One of
the challenges that I faced in deciding to study abroad was deciding to learn a language over my
summer instead of participating in a technical summer internship. I am an engineering student at
Columbia University and I do not have enough room in my schedule during the academic year to
take language courses along with all the technical courses required for my major. I foresee my
decision to study abroad instead of doing an internship this summer will transfer into my success
and dedication my experience abroad.

My Follow-on Service Project to promote the Gilman Scholarship and international education will be
geared towards encouraging, specifically engineering students, to participate in international
education. My service project would entail myself volunteering in the study abroad office at Columbia
University. I would not only serve as an ambassador for the country I am traveling to, but also as a
point of contact for other engineering students who are interested in studying abroad. My project
would encourage the engineering student body in studying abroad or at least increase their interest.
My goal for this project would be to increase the percentage of the engineering student body at
Columbia that studies abroad. At the moment, the percentage of engineering students at study
abroad is quite low because many engineering students do not have to take many technical classes
that are not offered in other institutions abroad, or many students want to learn a language but do
not have enough room in their academic schedule for a language course. My target population will

be engineering students that have interest in studying abroad but do not know if they will have
enough time to study a semester abroad while still fulfilling their technical requirements. I would
integrate my experience abroad into my project to give students interested in a way to show other
engineering students that it is possible to study abroad as an engineer. To spread my projects goals
around campus, I would get in contact with the Office of Global Programs and the Columbia
Engineering student council to spread the not only my experience studying abroad as an engineer
but also to serve as a resource person for my specific country or other general inquiries about
studying abroad as an engineer. I have already been in contact with the Columbia Engineering
student council about serving as a point of resource and ambassador for engineering students
interested in studying abroad.