“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
“Good luck! Have fun!” I gleefully exclaim. My friends and I drop into the arena. My pulse picks up. My jaw tightens in determination. I buy a shield and three health potions before racing to a strategic position.
When I log in, I enter a more connected, equitable world—one that supersedes physical constraints. My family could not afford travel, but I explored places you probably never heard of. I was on bed rest, but I led armies to conquer empires.
My peers on the playground teased me for having “squinty eyes and yellow skin.” But my team on the battlefield looked past my pixelated face and purple elf ears to assess only my skill.
Some of my dearest friends are 3,000 miles away, but we defeat dragons every weekend. Video games gave me the courage to bring my full self into the real world.
I want to create a world with more venues that enable people to live beyond physical boundaries. I want to create a world where we embrace blonde hair, robotic arms, and fox tails alike. I want to create a world where haracter and performance are the basis of judgment.
I will build a world where we level each other up. GLHF!
— Sylvia Ko