Sun Mei Liu
My name is Sun Mei Liu, although I am commonly known as Sunny. I am a freshman in the Macaulay Honors College (Brooklyn College Campus) as well as the Coordinated B.A./M.D. Program between Brooklyn College and SUNY Downstate Medical Center. I was born and raised in New Hyde Park, NY, but I am currently residing in Midwood. I am a first generation Chinese American, the daughter of immigrants from Hong Kong and Myanmar. My mother’s family fled Myanmar at the start of the military oppression that still plagues the country today. My father studied in London, England as well as Toronto, Canada before finally joining his family in New York. I consider myself but a mere byproduct of their successes in fulfilling what they understood to be the “American Dream.” As a daughter of immigrants, I, too, struggle with language and cultural barriers. Everyday I struggle to learn more about who I am without losing my heritage. My parents keep me anchored in the Chinese culture as I venture the American world.
My parents gave my younger brother and I luxuries they never had. I attended Our Lady of the Snows School, a parochial school in Floral Park, NY, which provided the basis of my education. While other students decided to follow the tradition of attending parochial high schools in the area, I decided to attend Townsend Harris High School in Flushing, NY. To this day, I consider the decision to attend Townsend Harris one of the best decisions I have made with regards to my academic career. I am also an alumna of the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth, an experience that, in my opinion, is unrivaled by most, if not all, other summer programs of its kind.
I have an eclectic taste in hobbies. Swimming, diving, and fencing are my favorite sports, ones that I was fortunate enough to be a part of throughout my high school career. I also enjoy iceskating as well photography, and I enjoy them as much as possible. A passion I will most likely never lose is my love for travelling. I am lucky enough have seen about ten different countries in the past years. I look forward to seeing many more.
However, it was not until I got a taste of my own back yard that I felt like a true New Yorker. Recently, I had the opportunity to see several cities on the West Coast. I could not help but notice a far quieter atmosphere than that of New York City. Needless to say, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix are far from tranquil, but I find that they are no match for the hustle and bustle that is New York City. I also housed a family friend, Valerie, from California in the last few weeks. Valerie plans to move to New York later this year. It was not until I witnessed Valerie’s difficulty taking the subway or even crossing the streets, that I realized how much I took for granted. My only reply to her disbelief at stores staying open all night or at her first taste at the city’s best restaurants was “That’s New York for you.”
New York is but no means perfect, for I feel that it is only in New York that one can find virtually anything and any hour of the day. It contains an unrivaled cultural diversity and a cornucopia of knowledge and resources. At its worst, New York as a whole may seem cold, unfriendly, and demanding. Beneath the harsh exterior, however, lie the Vietnam war veteran, the journalist seeking his next big story, and the musician at the 42nd street subway station, only a few of the millions the constitute New York. Every person has a story waiting for an ear to listen. But for me, New York is nothing more than and nothing short of home. I don’t expect that to change in my years at Brooklyn College, but rather, I expect to learn more about its infinite depth.