Who am I?  Who is Brian Man-Kit Wong?  I am a product of many years of structured upbringing, a mix of love and nurturing, discipline and accountability, and freedom to choose within given limits.  It is impossible to talk about me without talking about my parents, who have helped me to grow into the person I am. When my father calls me by my full Chinese name, WONG Man-Kit, I know I am in trouble.  My mom has always been there to do whatever it takes to give me the best of everything. Thus, in some ways I have been spoiled, like many of my counterparts in middle-class America.  However, because of the guidelines set by my parents, I consider myself a normal teenager, full of hope for the future, believing that the world can be a better place.

I am 15 years old and am a junior at Alameda High School in California. In school, my strongest subjects are math and science. I love the freedom and lack of boundaries in those two subjects. As for sports, I love playing tennis. You could even consider me a tennis junkie. I play almost every day; if I don’t, I feel like I don’t know what to do with myself. I play tennis on the Varsity Team at my school, and I occasionally play tournaments. Last year, at my school, I was a member of Science Club and Frisbee Club.  This year I am planning to start my own club, Youth Reaching Out.  I want to spread the word of the importance of doing community service.

Out of school, I am involved in many extracurricular activities. In my spare time, I love to read.  My mom describes me as someone who gobbles up books, as fast as she can check them out from the library.  As for music, I listen to anything that appeals to me melodically.  I have been playing the piano for almost 10 years now. I love playing the piano because when I am playing a song, I don’t have to think about anything else, and I can just relax and enjoy the music.

Through piano, I perform weekly community service at a retirement home on Bay Farm, the Waters Edge Lodge. Every Sunday, I go to the retirement home to entertain the residents there through music from their generation. I play background music during their dinner time, and then I offer a sing along of their favorite songs.  Using this project as a springboard, I recruit sponsors to raise money for the Alameda County Community Food Bank to feed the hungry. I have been doing this for over a year now, and I have raised over $6500 for the ACCFB. It is difficult to describe the euphoria I experience when I can help others.

In this new school year, I hope to be able to improve my writing skills through practice; often it takes me a long time to start writing because the thinking process is always a challenge to me. From this internship program, I hope to learn how to write interesting blogs.  I also wish to learn more about the problems in developing countries and what I can do to help alleviate those problems.  If I were to choose one specific goal for this program, I wish to study the philanthropic practices among the big Chinese corporations.  Do these booming companies give back to the community like their American counterparts?  Also, do the young people in China do community service?  Is community service required in high schools for graduation just like in some American schools?  I would also like to explore ways to impact people worldwide, letting them know what people here are doing for their community in the United States, how volunteering is a way of life here.

Through sharing the stories of my two projects, I hope to influence other young people into starting their own projects.  I believe that the world can be a better place.  I am doing what I can – the best way I know how.  Let’s all do what we can – the best way we know how.  Together, we can change the world.

Overall, I am grateful to have been chosen for this internship. It is a real honor, and I am ready to get started!