Jia Yun

I was born in a small village in Guangdong province, China, and moved to New York City with my parents, older sister and younger brother in 2007 in hopes of a better life. I was fifteen at the time. Migrating to a new country was an immeasurable emotional turning point for me. I left my culture, my extended family and friends, and my past self back home. I left behind the language I was raised speaking, Chinese. Not understanding a new culture can make a transition difficult; not speaking the country’s dominant language can make it nearly impossible.

Since moving to the States, I’ve dedicated significant time to learning English through self-study, help from teachers, and friends. I’ve spent Saturdays in the public library reading books about the American lifestyle, and borrowed movies about the same to watch at home. I’ve found that with hard work, I have been able to pick it up pretty quickly. In fact, in just one year, I was transferred from ESL into a regular English class within my high school. I graduated from high school proficient in English, and was the recipient of a scholarship which I competed for against all of my peers. My parents sacrificed much for us to move here. My goal is to make our move worth their while.

I am now a freshman at Baruch College; my intended major is accounting. Upon graduation, I plan to obtain a Masters in Environmental Education so that I can pursue a career in environmental accounting (Environmental accounting is a type of accounting that attempts to factor environmental costs into the financial results of operations). My natural ability in math and science, combined with my passion for the environment, has made it easy for me to choose this as my future career. There is no easy path to this profession, but like learning English, I have decided it is a pursuit well worth my time.

My career dream is to work in a big company as an environmental accountant analyzing data relating to pollution control and environmental protection policies. My goal is to give back to society by determining the best ways to lower both the environmental impact and the operating costs of a business, encouraging more resourceful, cleaner practices, and making our planet a healthier place to live.

As a first generation college student, I have always had to pave my own path. When I needed to learn English, I found a way to make it happen. I now plan to do the same with my career, and know that NYNY will play a key role in helping me achieve my many dreams going forward.