As an ABC (American Born Chinese), I have the privilege of being an American with a Chinese upbringing. I love being an American and am very proud of my Chinese heritage, but it was not until I got to college that I learned what it meant to me to be a Chinese-American. My father immigrated with his family to the United States from Taiwan when he was 16. His father required that everyone speak only English in the household, and thus my father assimilated into the American culture. However, he never forgot his Chinese, and together with my mother, taught me how to speak both Mandarin and Taiwanese.

My father was an Air Force officer by the time I was born, so I grew up an Air Force brat. It was such a mundane part of my lifestyle that I never even realized the contribution he was making to the country. Part of the military lifestyle included moving around, but no matter where we moved, my parents always managed to find a Chinese school for my brother and me to attend. Just like most other ABCs, we "loved" Chinese school so much and studied so diligently every day for our weekend torture, that I never became literate in Chinese. I came to college with the vocabulary of a 5-year old, and to my dismay, spoke Mandarin with a heavy Taiwanese/American accent. 

Even though I was surrounded with Chinese culture at home, I am still more American than anything. The first time I felt American pride in my heart was in high school, during a conversation I had with my Taiwanese cousin. She commented that the Americans think they're everyone's hero, and had to have their fingers in everyone's pie. In her eyes and many others, I'm only Chinese, but I was personally insulted by her comments. Even though my own U.S. history teacher often made similar comments, it was akin to the situation in which a person can make fun of his or her family members but outsiders cannot. 

The degree of patriotism I felt for my county has only strengthened ever since. I joined ROTC when I was a freshman in college and it was through ROTC that I learned so much about who I am. Although one might expect that I would only appreciate my American side, I came to better understand my Chinese heritage because of ROTC. If I had never received a scholarship from Air Force ROTC to study Chinese, my Chinese language abilities would have regressed. I do not claim to read or write Chinese fluently now, but I have learned more about the Chinese culture, literature and history in the last five years than in all the years before. In May, I will graduate from Washington University after five long years with a degree in Chinese, but I can never look back upon my college years without thinking about AFROTC. 

Although the Air Force has always been a part of my life, it only became an integral part during the last five years. Besides providing me with a great scholarship, it is has comforted me to know that in today's job market and economy, I have a secure job as an officer in the United States Air Force when I graduate. However, AFROTC has been so much more than just a scholarship and job opportunity, because I simply would not be the person I am today without AFROTC. 

I have grown in so many ways because of ROTC. I am now a more confident individual and my leadership skills have improved by leaps and bounds. Because of it, I know I have become a more mature and responsible person. Ironically, I even learned how to read Chinese because of ROTC. I highly recommend Air Force ROTC to anyone who is interested in learning to become a leader and better citizen for America. I admit I would not have considered it if there hadn't a scholarship attached, but after the first year, I learned that ROTC meant more to me than just a scholarship. If I had to do it all over again without the scholarship, I would not hesitate to sign up. I love my country and could not be more excited about serving in the Air Force. I consider it my privilege to do so and maybe you will too.