Page 18 - US APP Booklet

Dreams

Before coming to American, I wondered whether I could become a professional soccer

player. Ever since I was young, I have loved the game; you could always find me behind a ball.

The year I turned nine, I joined a league in China which was funded by Football Club Barcelona

(FCB). At the time I joined, the franchise was new but we quickly became one of the best known

soccer leagues in the Hong Kong. We had outstanding skills and great team work and in the

2010-2012 season we were undefeated. We practiced soccer technical skills such as one-two,

long pass, and shot every day. We were like a family and knew each other deeply, since we lived

together. That was the year I was captain and my dreams of becoming a professional were not

sheer whimsy; my coach who teammates with the famous Ronaldinho, confirmed the idea of

being a pro. My parents, however, had other ideas.

Shortly after our winning season, they announced that I would be attending school in the

United States and then return home to take over the family business. Because I am their oldest

child, this responsibility was mine. “You’re ruining my dream,” I told them, “I don’t want to run

the business.” But my pleas fell on deaf ears. Their decision had been made and that was that. So

in the fall of 2015, I boarded a plane in Hong Kong and after 18 long hours arrived in Boston. I

had been to the United States before but never by myself. I was lonely and disoriented and on top

of that jet-lagged and angry. With only three days to prepare, I was herded off to a host family

and then on to school. Even though I was angry, I missed my parents.

School was another ordeal. It was not so much a problem with English comprehension

but the fact that the American style of teaching is very different from the Chinese way. In China,

teachers write down exactly what you need to know. Here, students must listen and read