Citizenship
Many people don’t understand the true value of a U.S. citizenship. Being a U.S. citizen gets you access in some countries without a visa for a certain length of time; it’s also extremely easy to get a visa to most parts of the world.
I am currently a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, and while China is currently expanding and doing great economically, it still takes much longer as a Chinese citizen to gain access to certain parts of the world. Because of America’s leadership in the world economy and it’s powerful position as a superpower, its citizenship carries many benefits – especially in visas, passports, and world travel.
This summer I plan to study abroad at the London School of Economics, taking EC270: Public Finance. Studying abroad has always been one of my dreams, and after I became an economics and math double major, I knew the London School of Economics would be the ideal school for me. Not only does LSE draw me because of its expertise and top professors in economics, but the United Kingdom, with all of its history and culture, are immensely attractive to me (especially after reading and watching much English literature and watching films featuring English landmarks and characters). As a Chancellor’s Scholar, I have a $5000 stipend that helps me to do something cool during the summer, and I plan on using this money to study abroad in London.
This past Tuesday, I passed my U.S. citizenship test and am on my way to becoming a U.S. citizen. I am excited about being instated within the next two months. I’ve lived in the U.S. for the past 15 years, and soon, the country and culture that I’ve grown up with – I can finally claim as my own!