Section I:
As I’ve grown, my understanding of diverse community has deepened. I grew up on an island called Wenzhou in southern China, a place distinct from the more prosperous regions along the Yangtze River that many associate with southern China. It wasn't until 2006 that a bridge connected the island to the mainland city. The people here are kind, hardworking, and down-to-earth, but the area has long struggled with a lack of educational resources and a severe brain drain—I am no exception. Since junior high, I’ve been studying in the main city, driven by the values and aspirations I carried from the island.

Section II:
My lifelong training in the arts, combined with the disorienting experience of moving between cities, led me to pursue architectural design in my undergraduate studies. My motivation was simple: if I could create a beautiful building in my hometown, perhaps I could help change its trajectory. I wanted to understand the forces shaping our spaces and urban systems, and I became fascinated by them. But it wasn’t until a field study in another small southern town, facing even greater challenges than my own, that I realized these problems couldn’t be solved with architecture alone - I saw elderly people without anyone to care for them. The grand narratives we learned in architecture school fell short of addressing the complex, systemic issues involving people, the environment, services, and technology.

Section III:
These realizations steered me toward a cross-disciplinary approach, blending design and technology to address societal issues from multiple angles. I firmly believe that everyone deserves tools and services tailored to their unique environments. These experiences have nurtured my empathy for diverse communities, deepening my desire to contribute solutions that truly meet people's needs.
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