“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
I by no means had a typical, average life, and yet I still hesitate to be different.
Even the slightest deviation from average discomforted me. I spent endless hours trying to fix my British English because the standard English taught in Korea is American. As such, I have long been a minority in many different ways, even in my own home country, and yet I desire to belong and camouflage into the background.
During the last six years that I have prolonged to finish my MBA – during which I have experienced a number of losses and gains – HBS has challenged me yet again in ways that have liberated me and encouraged me to see how much more fun and valuable it is to be different.
Out in the world again in less than three months, I will never again be the first Asian in an English school in Africa or one of the 0.5% student moms in MBA, but I will be different, a minority who will be enjoying life and inspiring others to have fun being different.
Until the day we can all come together to create a colorful painting rather than blending into a monochromic mix, I hope we all enjoy the journey.
Even the slightest deviation from average discomforted me. I spent endless hours trying to fix my British English because the standard English taught in Korea is American. As such, I have long been a minority in many different ways, even in my own home country, and yet I desire to belong and camouflage into the background.
During the last six years that I have prolonged to finish my MBA – during which I have experienced a number of losses and gains – HBS has challenged me yet again in ways that have liberated me and encouraged me to see how much more fun and valuable it is to be different.
Out in the world again in less than three months, I will never again be the first Asian in an English school in Africa or one of the 0.5% student moms in MBA, but I will be different, a minority who will be enjoying life and inspiring others to have fun being different.
Until the day we can all come together to create a colorful painting rather than blending into a monochromic mix, I hope we all enjoy the journey.
— Mina Park