This week our Road to College series continues with a student who has shown a proclivity for helping others improve all aspects of their well-being. Through an active involvement in social sciences courses, a well-rounded array of co-curricular activities and a passion project focusing on sustainable success, this student has truly come to embody what it means to be an active global citizen.
Meet...
Lillian Fu, Concordia student since 2017
Accepted to:
Northwestern University
Intended field of study:
Psychology and Human Development in Context
How did you feel when you got the news that you were accepted?
I felt excited, relieved, and proud. At that moment, I was just so glad that I could have a Christmas break free from worrying about college apps and that I could spend true quality time with my family and friends. In a year of so many uncertainties, it’s a relief to know for certain where I will be going for the next four years.
Do you know already which school you will attend, and can you tell us what makes it a good fit for you?
I think Northwestern is as perfect of a fit for me as a school can be. It has a strong psychology program with professors that have great reputations. Its quarter system makes it easy for students to take extra classes and do a double or even a triple major, which will allow me to continue to invest in academic areas beyond my major.
Its campus has the best of both worlds with a small college town environment of Evanston and the convenience of getting to Chicago. And finally, Northwestern is known for having a sociable and friendly community that is fun and hardworking, which I think is the ideal kind of community to be a part of.
In your opinion, what made your college application(s) stand out?
What stood out about my application was probably my extracurricular activities and my motivation to use classroom knowledge to make tangible impacts. I would say I am very dedicated and serious about the clubs I am in, especially Sustainable Success and Global Issues Network (GIN). Sustainable Success is all about teaching our student body to practice mindfulness, emotional maturity, and soft skills through workshops, presentations, discussions, and fun activities. In GIN, we find local solutions to global problems like food waste. In my Northwestern essay, I talked about the clubs and courses at Northwestern that will allow me to continue working with improving student and community well-being as well as upgrading campus sustainability.
Is there a particular program or field of study you want to pursue at the school(s)?
I applied to an interdisciplinary program in the School of Education and Social Policy called “Human Development in Context”. It combines elements of psychology (my initial intended major), sociology, and social policy with an experiential learning approach to examine how different factors affect people’s well-being. I really like that this program provides students with hands-on experience with helping communities to improve their social, emotional, and physical well-being. Right now, I am thinking of double majoring in Human Development in Context and Psychology and I might do an additional minor in Environmental Culture and Policy.
Which classes, programs, and/or faculty at Concordia helped support your interest in your planned field of study?
Concordia’s mentality of being “active global citizens” has really shaped my vision of what I want to study and who I want to be. I especially appreciate the fact that all of my teachers are so passionate and dedicated to the classes they teach. They are always trying to give us opportunities to connect our learning with real-world situations and apply our knowledge to solving real problems. What I learned in Global Development Studies really fed into my work in Global Issues Network, and what I learned in AP Psychology helped with developing my passion project - Sustainable Success. Even in English and Religion classes, I find our discussions and readings very applicable to my life, and I often discover new insights on how people and society work. This definitely made me want to pursue psychology as a major.
Are there any other activities (clubs, teams, projects) that had a significant impact on you during your time at Concordia?
Being in clubs and sports at Concordia gave me a sense of belonging and purpose, and I think that feeling of fulfillment is the most valuable lesson I learned.
I realized that if I truly enjoy being a part of service groups, music groups, or a sports group, it doesn’t really feel like extra work. If anything, it gave me extra motivation to manage my time and responsibilities.
