2021-04-21

【Aiden in English】

〖“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.” What does this statement mean to you and can it affect what you do? (800 Words)〗

        “Take the shot if you’re open, Aiden.”

        I nod. Down six, we needed three-pointers to close the gap in these two minutes. I exhaled and rubbed my shaking hands against each other. Stepping onto the court for perhaps the last time in my middle school rec league career, I wasn’t ready to leave without making a splash.

        I was wide open. The ball came to my hands. I looked around, and there was a good five feet of space between me and any defender. I planted my feet firmly behind the line and centered my balance. I adjusted the ball in my hands and went into my shooting motion.

        But I didn’t shoot. I passed the ball back to the point guard and gritted my teeth as I watched my teammate toss up a contested three-pointer that barely grazed the rim. 

        Later that night, I stood in my driveway at the top of the key and put up three after three after three, watching one after another land in the basket. With each swish of the net, I asked myself, “Why didn’t I shoot?”

        I soon recognized that by continuously practicing in my tiny driveway bubble without distractions or pressure, I had transfixed my skills to this unrealistic setting of peace and perfection when in reality, a competitive match features many mental challenges I was unprepared for. That summer, after the rec league season, I tagged along to as many scrimmages with friends as possible, growing accustomed to shooting the ball in an imperfect setting.

        Basketball, a microcosm of my eventual metamorphosis, opened my mind to other doorways of life. Slowly but steadily, I broke out of my cocoon. I opened an English writing course at my local Chinese school; I tutored kids in English on weeknights; I ran for school officer positions, and even though I did not win every election, I nodded and always told myself, “It’s better than not shooting at all.” 

        Over my freshman and sophomore years, I explored business as a possible career field; however, I lacked the confidence to take charge of a team or lead a room in conversation, a quality that many business TedTalks labeled as a necessity for success. Once I realized that taking unreliable business leadership quizzes on sketchy websites wasn’t sufficient for self-improvement, I set my sights on an officer position in my high school’s Investment Club. Hoping to motivate my studies in a career path, as well as to gain leadership experience, I saw this goal as an opportunity to tackle two problems at once. 

        After leading a small squad of club members to a third-place regional finish in the Stock Market Game’s Spring Session, I landed the club’s president position. With that title came the responsibilities of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Investment Conference, a conference dedicated to raising financial literacy to high school students by inviting speakers and professionals. As we prepared for the task ahead, my team and I were blindsided by Covid-19’s destructive powers. 

        Faced with the tough decision of whether to host a conference at all, I decided that it would be better to take this challenge on rather than pass up the shot. As we approach the opening conferences of the season, the Investment Conference is now virtual and trending in a positive direction.

        Through my trials and failures, attempts and air-balls, I discovered that discomfort was a signal for improvement. It also symbolized a decision. Thus, when someone says to “Get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” I see a choice: either crumble under discomfort and pass the ball or take the shot. Now, after taking chances and gaining mixed results of success and failure, I’ve grown comfortable with taking risks.

        Schreyer Honors College offers the next choice for me: the Smeal College of Business. At Schreyer, I look forward to joining groups such as the Nittany Lion Consulting Group, a student organization that focuses on solving real-world issues with clients. As a quarantined high school student, the outside world remains much of a mystery; however, Schreyer offers the opportunity to light up my future, and if I get the chance, I will not let discomfort sway me from my shot.

【紅霞譯文】

〖“奮發有為”，這句話對你意味着什麼並如何影響你？ (800 字)〗

        “兒歌，如有空擋，一定投籃。”

        我點了點頭。落後六分，我們要在兩分鐘內靠三分球追趕上來。我屏住呼吸，揉搓着顫抖的雙手，儘管這可能是初中娛樂聯賽生涯中最後一場交鋒，可我不願甘拜下風。

        球傳到我手中，身邊沒人阻攔，我環顧四周，自家後衛距離我足有五英尺以遠。我把腳固定在三分線後，保持身體平衡，一邊調整持球手型，一邊擺好投籃架勢。

        但我並沒投籃，反將球回傳給控球後衛，隊友差點投中決定勝負的三分球，我咬緊牙關。

        當天深夜，我站在車道上三分球區弧頂，一個三分球接着一個三分球地連投，籃球應聲飛入籃框，百發百中。隨着球網一次次翻騰，我問自己：“為什麼不投籃？”

        我很快意識到，反覆在不分神或毫無壓力的車道丁點大空間打球，即使球技練到爐火純青的地步，也沒法做好實戰打比賽的心理準備。那年暑假娛樂聯盟賽季結束之後，我儘可能多跟朋友們一起拼殺對決，逐漸培養出逆境求生的信心。

        籃球是最終引發我質變的契機，它給我打開新世界的大門，我慢慢破繭成蝶。之後，我在本地中文學校開設了英語寫作班，利用周日晚上輔導孩子功課，積極參與學生會委員競選活動（儘管並非每次都能勝選），我總是勉勵自己：“努力不一定成功，但不努力一定不成功。”

        在高一和高二那年，我開始摸索向商科發展；然而，我對領導團隊甚至主持會議缺乏信心，而“科技·娛樂·設計演講”卻認為這是走向成功的必要條件。在我看來，與其從事華而不實於己無益的行業，不如將注意力放到管理高中投資俱樂部上來，這樣既可以規劃個人職業生涯，又能提升領導能力，可謂一舉兩得。

        在賓州春季“股市博弈”地區性比賽中，以我為首的投資小組奪得第三名，接着我被選為俱樂部主席，責任驅使我主辦賓州東南部投資會議，本次會議邀請了演講嘉賓和專業人士，旨在普及高中生金融知識。正當一切準備就緒，2019新型冠狀肺炎病毒疫情爆發，立刻讓我們陷入茫然之中。

        在面臨是否繼續召開會議的關鍵時刻，我決定要勇於迎接挑戰，而不是放棄出擊。本屆大會開幕在即，投資會議已全面上線，目前正朝着積極方向發展。

        經過努力與失敗、試投與三不沾，我發現逆境不僅敦促改變，而且還象徵果敢。因此，當有人說“奮發有為”，我面臨的是抉擇：糾結中要麼傳球要麼投球。如今，通過成功與失敗的磨練以及酸甜苦辣的考驗，我已經學會擔當。

        賓州州立大學希瑞爾榮譽學院讓我另闢蹊徑：斯米爾商學院。在校期間，我加入尼塔尼山獅顧問集團，這是致力於幫客戶解決實際問題的學生組織。作為一名被疫情隔離的高中生，外面的世界撲朔迷離；然而，榮譽學院之光將照亮我未來之路，如有機會，我不再臨陣退縮。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2018: Yo-Yo and Friendship(空竹與友誼)

Yo-Yo @ 2017 Lansdale Intl Fest(2017年蘭斯代爾國際節抖空竹)

2013屆光華畢業生(2013 GHCS Graduates)

Driveway Bubble (自家車道球場 06-25-2019)

Crosslink(相關博文):

12th Grade(高中四年級)