Why I want to take part in the Evercore Rising Junior Diversity Scholarship. Essay

Learning how to adapt to life in Canada after spending my first nine years in China was a challenge, but life has taught me how to look past my racial background, set goals for myself, and exceed expectations by others. In a family where the female figures have served as my utmost inspiration, I have learned that in the face of adversity, you embrace your weaknesses and turn them into strengths. Today, I am privileged to study at the Smith School of Business at Queen's University where I receive a wonderful education and work with others who share the same belief in diversity as a strength.
I am writing to express my candidacy for the Evercore Rising Junior Diversity Scholarship. Over the past years, I have accumulated experiences both in the public and private sectors where I have promoted inclusion and led diversity initiatives. In senior year of high school, I had the opportunity to work with management consultants on a project to increase donation revenue for Camp Oochigeas, a camp servicing children with cancer. Later that summer, I partnered on a crowdsourcing initiative, projected to reach 1000 students in Toronto, with the Heart & Stroke Foundation in helping Chinese youths adapt to healthier diets. By employing my analytic skills in a non-profit setting I am able to create a positive impact in the community.
At Queen's University, I am honoured to rank academically in the top 5% of the Class of 2018. I also co-chair the Queen's Economics Case Conference, a committee dedicated to professional development for economics majors. In the first time in committee history, half of all executives are female from different ethnic backgrounds, and everyone is included in the decision making process.
Growing up as an immigrant I have been subject to ethnic discrimination, but I have come to understand that when I stand up for myself, I stand up for everyone else. I no longer concede to unfavourable circumstances, because hidden within each hardship is an opportunity to be better. This is now my greatest cause in my spare time, I mentor younger students who seek guidance in transitioning from a minority background. With 34% of America's workforce being members of minority groups and only continuing to grow, being sensitive to human differences and being capable of appreciating diverse cultures is essential in a globalized world. I am proud of my ethnicity and I hope to continue empowering other minority groups through various endeavours.
At the end of the day, being a visible minority is not an ordeal to me it is a source of motivation. As Confucius has elegantly phrased, "The man who says he can and the man who says he cannot are both correct." I am truly thankful for all those who have given me a chance to prove myself. In my next chapter in life, I would like to bring my character to Evercore a resilient drive to excel and a conviction in the success of everyone by inclusion.