Ask for a Chance
Xiao Juan Ke (China)
“Hello, Mr. Tu, my name is Xiao Ke. Can I ask for a chance?”
“What?” he looked extremely perplexed.
“Eh…somebody told me you have two application forms for the EPA internship program. Can you please give me one?”
“I am sorry, young girl. I gave the application forms to two of my best students already.”
“I am also an excellent student. Why can’t I have one?” I murmured to myself.
After one week, Mr. Tu came to see me and brought me the application. I asked him, “How did you get it?” He didn’t tell me how. He just said, “Because you have asked for the chance.” Now when I recall his words, I feel he taught me that opportunity belongs to those who ask for it.
Perhaps because this chance was especially hard to get, I cherished it most. I tried my best to complete the application. I did research on the Environmental Protection Agency website until midnight and I asked my writing teacher to help me with the application essay.
Half a month later, the day before spring break, my guidance counselor told me that the EPA admission officers were impressed with my application. They wanted to interview me after spring break. I was very excited but I was nervous, too. I felt intimidated, because at that time I had just come to the U.S. about three months ago. I felt jittery about having an interview in my new language. However, I always believed success brings rewards to those who are well prepared. Hence I put more effort into my work.
During the spring holiday, I wrote down all the questions that I thought could possibly be asked in the interview. I practiced answering the questions many times in order to be more confident and proficient. In addition, I bought a new suit; I thought it would make me look professional. The day before the interview, my English teacher, Mrs. DeBerardinis, gave me a mock interview in order to make me feel more comfortable during the interview.
Eventually, the interview day arrived. I did as well as I could. After the interview, the four interviewers spoke highly of my English communication skills. I thought everything was fine. I waited for the acceptance letter.
After seven days of anxious waiting, I received the result. Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected. The reason was that EPA could only hire American citizens. I moped around the house and felt sorry for myself. Nevertheless, I clearly knew that I had to brace myself and made my next move. I realized that failure is the opportunity to try again, and I wanted to be one of the people who overcome adversity and ultimately achieve great success.
According to Sir Winston Churchill, “A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” I picked up another program’s application form—the Penn Summer Mentorship Program. I knew I could overcome this setback and turn a painful disappointment into a bright new challenge.
