顾乐琪 | Rainbow Gu
国际部高中2022届毕业生
早申录取学校 ——
史密斯学院 Smith College
美国U.S. News世界大学排名第17名（文理学院类）
01
我成长
My 15 years with SCLS
小小毕业生
My teachers
三岁，我就加入了宋庆龄的大家庭，眨眼间，已从那个懵懵懂懂的宋幼小女孩变成了临近高中毕业的准大学生。整整十五年，我就是在宋奶奶“把最宝贵的东西给予儿童”理念的呵护下茁壮成长的。这里的一草一木、一砖一瓦都是我人生的一部分，这里的老师们更是成就了现在的我。
My life intertwined with the SoongChingLing community at the early age of three. Healthy and happy, I have grown into a Senior at this school. It was here that I was nurtured under the philosophy of "Give children the most valuable things" from Madam Soong Ching Ling. Everything and every event of this school helped me to thrive as who I am now, to embrace life and an infinite amount of possibilities.
封校长，从“园长妈妈”到“校长妈妈”再到现在的“封校长”，这15年来，她给了我们最长情的陪伴。温文儒雅，谦和包容，在我心目中，她是中国女性最好的代言人，让我明白了什么才是女性的力量，真正强大的女性应该是什么样的。
Joining this whole journey with me is my beloved principal, Madam Feng. For fifteen years, she had foreseen and cared for me just like her own child. Being gentle, amiable, modest, and forgiving, in my heart, she is the elite model of Chinese women. Every morning, as she bows to everyone entering the school with her smile, we can feel her love and care for all of us. She is someone that in my heart would be the example of women leaders.
封校长在这15年中给了我最温暖的陪伴
Dr.Magee，又一位可敬的校长，睿智开明，文雅亲切，她用张弛有度的教育方式使我们这一群躁动的青春期少男少女安然度过了叛逆期。她让我们充分地成长，也学会了承担自己的责任。
Dr.Magee is another respected principal. As a leader in our school, she had helped stubborn teenagers including me to mature. Throughout these times with her, her wisdom was given to us. The responsibility she displayed through her teachings enlightened me to ace difficulties, let me realize how a great woman looks like, and set a future goal, to live up to her accomplishments.
罗老师，我人生中一位重要的老师，她对学生积极的鼓励和欣赏让我学会了认识自己、肯定自我，我们不一定是成绩最好的，但是我们肯定是最有灵气的、双眼最明亮的、思路最敏捷的那群人！我们有着最灿烂的未来！
Ms.Luo is one of the most important teachers in my life. Her enthusiastic way of teaching and her continuous motivations allowed me to learn about myself as well as to be more determined to my goals. Her lesson on the iceberg theory was one of the most memorable. Underneath every seemingly apparent scenario, there seems to be more that's uncovered. It's just like we have a lot of potentials. Our future, through her teachings, will be great.
这里还有许许多多改变我人生的老师：充满欢笑的Mr.E，耐心认真的数学张老师，知识渊博的Mr.Duff、Mr.Ewing和Ms.Es-
panola等等。在课上，他们永远面带微笑，通过许多不同的活动引领我们学习。语文课上讲到的冰山理论；数学课上对微积分的阐释；历史课上创作的用来记住法国历史的故事书；心理学课上运用成长心理学知识完成的自己成长史的ppt；英语课上关于各种社会问题的辩论与讨论等等……在这里，我学会了自主学习、独立思考和自由表达；在这里，我完成了“独立”的准备，满怀信心和憧憬去开启我的大学之路。
In SCLS, many other teachers changed my life: Mr. Duff with the storybooks we wrote in history for remembering the Napolean age, Mr.E with the funny childhood classes that allowed me to wonder, Ms. Espanola and her guidance in debates we had in English class on different social issues, Mr. Ewing through PowerPoints we made for demonstrating our development in psychology, and Mr. Zhang and his thorough explanation of calculus in math class. Through these different engaging tasks, these teachers guided our learning and better prepared me for my future college life.
02
我快乐
Things that make me HAPPY
My hobbies
从小我就是一个爱“瞎”想的人。我喜欢用画笔把想象出来的世界记录下来，从幼儿时期的动物世界到之后的魔幻世界，一幅幅画就是我的一个个平行宇宙。每次创作都是创造，我着迷于它没有定理或定义等条条框框的束缚，可以把我的那些虚构的幻想和影像变成真实的图像。图画的世界是如此自由，我可以无尽地尝试，不惧失败，这令我快乐无比。
Since childhood, I have been someone who loves to wonder. When I pick up my paintbrush, I have this urge of documenting the whole world down. My paintings are like a series of parallel universes. From the animal worlds to monsters and dragons, I'm captivated by the freedom of art, no rules can bind me. I can try nonstop in this realm of art since there is no such term as a failure, and this excites me.
在其它领域，我也不停探索，如在Tedx与NSDA演讲与辩论活动中丰富自己，还热衷于尝试不同的运动，如马术。在这项运动中，马儿们教会了我要学会如何去爱，学会“倾听”，学会思考。学习⻢术不仅仅是为了更高更快，更要学会与⻢沟通，学会尊重，随时“倾听”它的状态。虽然有时候会让我身体很累，但是与马相伴的周末令人精神愉悦。
My spirit for exploration can also be seen in my participation in various activities like TEDx and NSDA speech and debate events. I also love to try out different kinds of sports like horse riding. It is from horses that I learned the importance of empathy, and the love it contains, as well as to listen and to always think before acting. Learning horse riding is not only about speed and height, but also related to the importance of clear communication one makes with the horse. The rider's respect for the horse is crucial since riding requires active participation from both. And, like animals, sometimes the horse needs the rider's care. Although riding classes can be tiresome, time with the horses always calms me.
让我愉悦的事情还有帮助他人。我参加了线上支教活动，面对一言不发的小女孩，在电脑这一端，我能感受到她的羞涩与紧张，我便跟她聊起她的同学，分享我的囧事，让她慢慢放下了紧张和戒备。我把自己在宋校15年来感受到的爱传递给了她，慢慢地，我们变成了朋友。
Things that I enjoy also include helping others. I participated in an online teaching opportunity. While facing my first quiet and nervous student, I tried to help her calm down. I read her various storybooks and told her about myself; I let her understand that I'm just a new friend here to help her. In this process, I began to see myself becoming more patient and benevolent. Slowly, as she opened up more to me, and begins to answer questions, I felt that I successfully demonstrated the love Madam Soong Ching Ling instills in me from life in this school.
作为一名15年来一路在宋校长大的学生，我非常希望可以回馈学校，所以发起了SCLS United Club这个组织，希望能够通过它，和同学一起把我们整个学校团结得更紧密，让“爱”这个代表学校的关键词更加发扬光大。我们发起了Safekids Program，致力于向小学生传授安全知识，还会定期通过学校公众号介绍我们丰富多彩的课余生活，比如西班牙活动周、绿屋社团与飞盘社团等。这些经历使我的沟通能力与组织能力获得了提升，同时让我体会到了一种使命感和对自我价值的思考。这些成长让我快乐！
As the "daughter" of Madam Soong Ching Ling, and someone who had received education mainly here for 15 years, I also wish to do something in return for this school. Therefore, with friends, I initiated the club called "SCLS United", hoping to unite the different departments of our school to become more intimate and let the word "love" that represents our school root its importance even deeper. We started the SafeKids program, which educates safety tips to primary school students in a variety of scenarios. We also wrote WeChat articles periodically on the diverse aspects of student's life, for example, Spanish heritage week, frisbee, and greenhouse ECAs. These activities allow us to gain multiple skills like organizing and communicating, but more importantly, it allows us to feel the sweet burden of responsibility as well as the group-centered critical thinking tasks. Through these events, I felt myself happily developing.
我们的Safekids Program致力于
向学生传授安全知识
03
我憧憬
My road to Smith
Why I
chose Smith
2019年的暑假，我和父母去美国旅行，拜访了东部一些知名大学。看着那一座座气派非凡的学府，听着那些学生导游自豪地介绍着自己的学校，我完全被打动了。美国大学校园的自由、开放、多元、包容，以及那么多有趣的灵魂深深吸引了我。
In the summer of 2019, my family visited some famous universities located on the East coast. I was captured by not only the beautiful landscape and extraordinary buildings of these universities, but also the pride in the student guides when they were introducing their school. The freedom, openness, diversity, and tolerance in the American schools captivated me from then on.
随着申请季的开始，我开始认真地通过各个渠道去了解美国大学，由最初的盲目，到渐渐学会从多方面进行考量：美国大学的通识教育是一大特色，尤其文理学院更是注重这方面的培养，我希望在大学期间可以踏实系统地进行人文方面的学习；在地理位置方面，太繁华之处容易让人迷失自己，太偏僻又会过于与世隔绝；校园氛围要友善大于竞争、老师要亲切不要高冷……我希望找一个自由、快乐、温暖的大学，一个像宋庆龄学校一样的学校。尤其在经历了两年疫情后，我希望能够在远离父母和亲人的地方，也有一个宛如大家庭的学校，能给我关怀、力量和支持。
As the application season started, I began to learn deeper about these universities. My fondness for the different types of universities and what schools I'm looking for was clearer: the physical location would be not too city nor too rural, the school's atmosphere would be better cooperative than competitive, the school would be small and focus on the liberal arts curriculum... I hope that this new place would be somewhere filled with warmth as if it was another home, supporting me and teaching me.
史密斯学院的录取信
史密斯学院就这样走进了我的视线。她是一个中等规模的文理学院，致力于培养坚韧不拔的独立女性。看着学子们在视频网站上的自我介绍，我被那一位位自信活泼的女生们吸引了，而且她们还有着全美最好的住宿和超一流的马场！学院所在的小镇也是有名的艺术小镇，有着多家艺术博物馆，正是我向往的氛围！在体验了学院的公开课后，授课老师的热情和亲切也深深打动了我，于是便毅然决定申请这所学校。
Smith College walks into my sight in my search for colleges as she nearly fits into all my criteria for a "dream school". From youtube videos to their school website, the more I learn the more I am attracted to the student groups I foresee me becoming more confident, lively, smart, and friendly. I signed up to various sessions to know better about the school, and in one of the classes, my heart pounded with the fabulous future under the engaging and accomplished professors at Smith. And after knowing about the comfortableness of their dorms, Smith became the school I'm destined to reach for.
史密斯的文书也是另一个我爱她的原因！“写一首打动你的歌”——我喜欢同有趣的人打交道，能够出这种题目而不是千篇一律的“为何你要申请我校？”之类的，也应该是热爱生活而有趣的人！
Smith's admissions essays were also unique. I wrote about a song that is meaningful to me. Compared to other "why x school?" responses, this essay showed me that the people in Smith must value a person's love for enjoyment in life. I can see my prosperous future as a Smithie!
梦寐以求的礼物
最终，offer如约而来，快递也如期而至。一打开，里面夹了一张单页，上面写着：
As the offer arrived, and later the package through mail, there was a card with these words:
撰稿：顾乐琪
