"I applied to Notre Dame because one of my biggest role models, who lived next door, graduated from here. After I applied, I looked online at the statistics of students. I saw that something like 76% of students are Catholic and 80% are white. I wasn't used to being in the minority. I was so nervous before I arrived on campus."
"When I saw the Golden Dome for the first time, I thought, 'This place is so beautiful, but will I be happy here?' It's a beautiful campus, but I would be miserable if I didn't have friends. I didn't really know the culture, and English is my second language.
"Orientation was not a smooth transition for me. Honestly, it was pretty awkward. Especially when they put us into groups by area code...because I've never had an area code. I was the only one who raised my hand when they asked, 'Who is an international student?' I didn't know what people were talking about when they named their favorite cereal or their favorite show.
"I've made a great friend group with some of the girls in my dorm. Now, I ask lots of questions. I feel like a toddler who is learning to speak: 'What's Lent? What's tailgating? What's pregaming?' Gradually, I've learned what people are talking about. They've introduced me to all the nice things, like Chick-Fil-A and the Bachelor! My friends made a list of all the movies I need to see! It's super long. We cover one of them every weekend.
"The most important part of diversity is communication. I'm so different from my friends, but they explain their stories and ask me about mine. I've explained Chinese New Year to them, and what it's like to be an only child, and about my high school."