JT Su

JT is proud to have attended San Marino High School, where he graduated as a Promethean, his school's replacement for valedictorian. He was also the Jeff Gu Memorial Humanitarian Scholar of his class and the Service Commissioner on student council. Jonathan has always been an avid, adventurous traveler and sees the world as his inspiration. After taking volunteer trips to places as far away as China, Ghana, Tanzania, and Guatemala, he discovered his passion for learning about different cultures. He is ecstatic about spending a year in Ecuador, and hopes to become fluent in Spanish. JT is an ardent advocate for equality and believes that everyone should be respected, regardless of race, background, beliefs, or orientation. It is his ultimate dream to give back to the world in every way possible. Personal Motto: "Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." -Dr. Seuss

Alumni Post – Life in the Trenches: Digging My Way Out

JT Su

2015-04-06

JT is a Global Citizen Year alum (Ecuador ’14), and a Gates Millennium Scholar studying Global Liberal Studies, Urban Education, and Spanish at NYU. The following post comes froma presentation he delivered at the Ford Foundation in New York City on April 2, 2015. Six years agoÛÓin the course of working my way through school,...

Perspective

JT Su

2014-04-11

Nine months ago, on a cloudy August morning, I got on a plane bound for home. But this wasn’t just any home. It was my home thousands of miles away from my physical and psychological home that I would be calling my second home. Remember that chilly night I landed in Ecuador—completely confused with where...

The Chimborazo Confessions

JT Su

2014-03-06

Who is most likely to have a nightmare about anime? Who is also known as “The Wandering Man?” Who pictured two guinea pigs getting married? Who kept everyone waiting on the bus to make a Starbucks run? Who has a deep personal connection to an elephant sweater? Who always runs out of phone minutes within...

I Will

JT Su

2014-02-03

Within us Chimborazo Fellows, there is something we do: we write each other letters for what we call our “rainy days”–days where hard memories suddenly and unknowingly convene and we feel our lowest of lows. Though these tough times are hard to overcome, they are the moments I will always remember–the times I dig deep...

The Power of Words: A Human Rights Manifesto

JT Su

2013-12-30

“If thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought.” — George Orwell, 1984 In Spanish, there’s a word called “estadounidense.” It doesn’t have an English translation–that is, people try to translate it into “American,” but this translation isn’t accurate. “Estadounidense” is how people here describe someone who hails from the US, derived from “Estados Unidos,” the Spanish words for “The United States.” But...

Out in the Open: A Human Rights Manifesto

JT Su

2013-12-16

“When we reject the single story, when we realize that there is never a single story about any place, we regain a kind of paradise.” — Chimamanda Adichie, The Danger of a Single Story It all started with a book I bought hours before leaving for Ecuador, where I would be living for the next...

Home

JT Su

2013-11-08

Our world is massive. And us? Well, we are tiny. We wander around like a giant colony of ants. And no matter how many we are, We will inevitably be a minuscule part Of an infinitely larger context. We are part of a crazy, hectic thing called life. We breathe everyday, We live everyday, Rarely...

JT Su

2013-10-11

“I basically say, ‘Congratulations, you’re in. Now go away.'” — Robert S. Clagett, Former Dean of Admissions at Middlebury College According to the American Gap Association, only 1% of high school graduates across the United States take a year off before attending college. We live in a culture that I believe is too often dominated by what...

Freedom Writer

JT Su

2013-10-11

“I have received full payment and even more.” — Philippians 4:18 Writing will always be my first love. It is my comfort, my joy, my pastime, and ultimately, my escape. It is there for me in my happiest, saddest, most exhilarating, and most troublesome moments. It lets me play with words on a page–the best...

Empathy

JT Su

2013-10-02

For the past several years of my adolescence, I have always seemed to possess bitterness towards the world around me, appalled at how people could be so judgmental of who I am. Growing up in a predominantly Asian community, where there is a lot of pressure to succeed academically, and even more pressure to attend...

Oda a Quito

JT Su

2013-09-19

Querida Quito, You are a big city–the “capital at the center of the world.” Your buildings make the clouds seem tangible. Your lighted night skyline is reminiscent of a million candles. Your weather fuses the span of four seasons into a few hours–sunshine, haze, rain, and more sunshine. The dichotomy of clear skies and dark...

Fear

JT Su

2013-09-13

Snip. Snip. Snip. Within ten minutes, my hair was eight inches shorter than it was. Having long hair for most of my life, I often get asked why I decided to get such a drastic makeover, and why so suddenly. I would often tell people it was simply for a new beginning–the start of a...

A Year of Many Firsts

JT Su

2013-09-05

Life is full of firsts–first steps, first day of school, first wish, first date. The list is endless, but there always seems to be a time when our lives become somewhat repetitive. I, myself, was a victim of this. I had become so accustomed to how I lived my daily life that I stopped growing....

I Am Not A Dancer.

JT Su

2013-09-05

I have short legs and skinny arms. My coordination and sense of rhythm are horrendous. I don’t listen to much music. The result when I dance is ghastly, to say the least, and while normal people are able to quickly pick up moves, I cannot catch on if my life depended on it. Being unable...

Taking a Moment to Breathe

JT Su

2013-08-29

6:30 AM. I roll out of bed and trudge to my bathroom like a lifeless zombie, wishing for just ten more minutes of sleep. After getting ready for school and always seeming to miss breakfast along the way, I arrive for orchestra rehearsal by 7. Then comes my long day of school until 3. I...

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

JT Su

2013-07-09

Inspiration is everywhere. It drives my everyday life and pushes me to become a better person. It has the power to lift my mind to a world of infinite possibilities, where I can consistently feel empowered by reading inspiring words, listening to soulful music, watching miracles happening around me, or simply observing the raw beauty of the...