AAYP 2017 Youth Ambassadors Scholarship
Sherry Chen
A Great Leader
Making my way through the narrow and crowded hallways on the way to English, I nudged my way up to the second floor. As I breathlessly pushed through the double doors, I saw a group of students circled around a fight between a red-headed white student and a skinny Hispanic student. As I stepped into the circle, the white male threw the Hispanic male on the cold, wooden floor. He sat on top of him and started to punch his face. His face turned into a bold red color. The rest of the bystanders stood with disgusting smiles and pulled their phones out to record the incident. Some even encouraged them to fight harder. Frozen in my steps and trembling in fear, I recalled my mom’s voice ringing, “do not get involved in others’ business.”
Growing up as an Asian American, I was constantly reminded to “stay out of trouble” by silencing myself from expressing my true feelings and values. As I walked discreetly away, every step I took felt like walking through quicksand. Suddenly, an unnerving screech shivered up my spine. Terrified, I ran into the closest classroom and yelled out, “Hurry up Miss, there is a fight outside!”
A few days after this incident, three other fights broke out in school. Because I had been able to stop one fight successfully, I thought to myself, is it impossible to end fights and violence at school? Slowly, I began to wonder, “what more can I do to stop this?” That day when I got home, I told my mom about the frequent fights in school. “ Mom, what do you think I can do to resolve this issue?” I asked quietly as I picked up a bowl of rice. I waited for her response, but she just looked away and sighed. “ Sherry, there is nothing you can do to stop these fights from happening. Don’t waste your time and focus more on your academic studies,” she exclaimed.
Unwilling to accept this discouragement, I wanted to take the initiative to stand up for what I felt was the right thing to do and seek responsibility for the welfare of other people in my community. There is a traditional statement in an Asian household that ” whatever is said in the family, remains in the family.” The idea of keeping a low profile leads families to be accustomed to not help others in need. But I was compelled to break this social barrier. Now, I encourage many Asian Americans and other people to stand true to their own values and beliefs because this is what makes a true leader. A great leader is someone who is willing to take the initiative to spark a new change in the community. I did not want to just listen and follow other people, instead, I wanted to be a leader.
Although I struggled through many discouragements, I did not accept that as the answer. Instead, I took negativity as motivation to be even more persistent. I promised myself that I would help others in need and no longer remain silent. This promise influenced my decision to become the founder and president of the No Place for Hate Club. This club creates inclusive communities and empowers schools to challenge all forms of bigotry. At first, the club started with just four people, but through much time and effort in publicizing and promoting the club through rallies and fundraisers, it eventually grew to 19 members. In No Place for Hate, the club members and I work with our school and community to create a safer learning environment, promote unity and respect among the student body, and reduce bullying, name-calling and other expressions of bias. Furthermore, I managed to conduct several school outreaches at Ryan Middle School and P.S.189 that educated over 100 younger students on inequality and stereotypes through a series of workshops and presentations. My mission is to build a support team to guide other students to the right path in life. As I leave high school and No Place for Hate, I marked a lasting legacy and I hope to continue its mission of creating communities of respect and tolerance wherever I go.