Personal Narrative: Where Are You From?

1. I set myself a goal in life when I was five years old, and it has stuck with me ever since – I want to make a difference in this world. Whether it be personally saving someone’s life or creating something that will save lives indirectly, I want to be remembered in other’s people’s lives after mine is over.
2. I was born in Shanghai, China, so sadly, even if I wanted to run for president, I wouldn’t be able to. But, it does make for a pretty unique answer when anyone asks me “Where are you from?”
3. I’m an only child, but I’ve always wanted a younger sibling. The best moment of my life was taking care of a group of 30 6th graders at a summer camp, because it made me feel like a big brother.
4. Nothing makes me happier than when kids younger

than me look up to me as a role model. I try my best to be a good family friend and camp counselor, and one day, after camp, a camper told me that I was her role model. That instantly made my day, and I still look back to it every now and then.
5.

I told my mom two years ago that I didn’t want to go to college because I would have to leave home, and I would be scared on my own. It’s quite ironic how, two years later, I’m here at TAMS.
6. I consider making the decision to come to TAMS instead of Plano West High School, the school I would have went to if I didn’t come to TAMS, the best decision I have made in my entire life. I regret

nothing.
7. My favorite music group is Girls Generation, not simply because their music is good, but because they look like they’re having fun when they sing/preform.
8. I pride myself in being a weeaboo – someone who has a large interest in Japanese culture. Some people think it’s weird, but isn’t everyone weird in their own unique ways?
9. I was an All-State level singer throughout high school, but gave up that part of my life to attend TAMS.
10. I always wished I could sing in public with the same confidence as I do when I sing in the shower.
11. I once placed 2nd at a state-level piano competition after being told by one of the judges beforehand that I had no chance of making it past the finals. I asked to take a picture with him after the competition.
12.

I grew attached to the detective and mystery genre not because of popular books/shows such as Sherlock Holmes, but because of a Japanese detective cartoon.
13. I probably know more EDM (electronic dance music) than everyone else in our entire wing combined.
14. My proudest random moment in my life was when I played Mozart’s Piano Sonata in C K.545 1st movement blindfolded.
15. I don’t watch many American TV Shows; it’s surprising to many people, but the only one I’ve watched and finished is “The Vampire Diaries”.
16. I was named after a famous businessman named Alan, so my parents always thought I was destined to become a businessman since I was always a people person too. I’m majoring in business to human interactions in college.
17. I once challenged my friend to see who could tie the fanciest knot, so I tied the Eldredge Knot just for fun. It’s been my favorite and my go-to knot ever since, and I like how it makes me look more sophisticated than I really am.
18. My favorite book series is the Percy Jackson series; I used to daydream about being a half-blood when I was in middle school. My favorite god was Apollo.
19. A year ago, I could barely cook rice without burning it – Now, I can genuinely cook a 4-course meal that even my friends have

commended.
20. J’étudie le français à l’école, et maintenant, je peux avoir une conversation avec quelqu’un en français.
(I studied French in high school, and now, I can have a [successful] conversation with someone in French.)
21. I’ve always been more intrigued by moonlight than sunlight; something about it is just so soothing and calming. Because of this, I take lots of late night walks, and love the outdoors whenever the daylight fades.
22. My aunt lives in Japan, and my uncle lives in Canada. Ironically, the two places on Earth I want to visit the most are Tokyo and Vancouver.
23. I wrote a speech about wanting Pokémon to come to life for a speech tournament in 6th grade; I placed first. Since then, public speaking has always been one of my fortes.
24. I attended a business competition at TAMS called DECA and qualified for Internationals, which was a completely different experience for me because I had never done anything outside of the state level.
25. I’m more of a “doing” person than a “reading” person. I never liked reading from manuals or following directions; I preferred watching other people do something and copying their movements and patterns.