5/5/2006 - Ingrid Ngai Sze Wun: International Scholar
In her dorm room in Newman Hall, Ingrid Ngai Sze Wun sits in front of her computer and works rigorously on engineering and physics homework. Her desk is neat and in order. There is a place for everything and everything is in its place.
Her bed is neatly made and her side of her dorm room is spotless. However, her roommate’s side of the room looks as though a nuclear warhead exploded. There are clothes everywhere and everything is in one huge pile.
Ingrid has studied abroad since she was 17-years-old. She has overcome numerous obstacles. Whether she was learning a new language or making new friends in a new environment, Ingrid has stared adversity in the face and continued to rise above the pressure.
“She is a genuine person who has empathy for those around her,” said Kendra Shin, a freshman business major. “She has a definite sense of her identity.”
Ingrid is a native of Kowloon, Hong Kong. She is the daughter of Vason, a chef with his own company, and Rebecca, a manager for human resources.
Ingrid is their eldest child. Her younger brother, 14-year-old Grant, is still with her parents in Hong Kong.
In Hong Kong, Ingrid went to high school for five years. After her fifth year, she took the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (H.K.C.E.E.). Upon passing the test she joined the American Field Service (A.F.S.) for one year as a foreign exchange student.
In 2004, Ingrid went to northern Germany, near Hamburg. She was 17-years-old and on her own, in a country where she did not know the language. All Ingrid knew was English and Cantonese (a dialect of the Chinese language).
The first few months were difficult for Ingrid. “It was so confusing,” she said. “The worst thing that I felt was that I couldn’t express myself.” Her host family tried to help, but they did not understand her.
Ingrid’s host mother, Annegret was a widow and a nurse. Her host sister, Hannah was 19-years-old, and saw Ingrid as a little sister. However, she did not see her as someone to help. She felt Ingrid was inferior to her.
Ingrid took German language classes three times a week. It helped, but she could not cope with learning English and German at the same time. She could not comprehend it all. She was very unhappy.
Ingrid’s day to day life was like a routine. She did her studies, did her share of the chores in the house and then sat in her room. “I don’t know what I was waiting for. I guess I just had nothing to do and it was 3:00 p.m.,” said Ingrid.
Hannah and Ingrid did not get along. She hardly ever spoke to Ingrid and when she did, she did it in German.
Ingrid especially remembered the meals the family had. “I hated the three of us eating together. Hannah was always in a bad mood. She was always angry at something,” she said.
Ingrid only saw her A.F.S. advisor by appointment. So, when she showed up unannounced, Ingrid knew that something was wrong.
Her advisor told her that she had to switch families within the week. Apparently, her host mother was diagnosed with Leukemia. Ingrid later found out that it was partly that, and partly the relationship between Ingrid and Hannah.
So in February of 2005, Ingrid left her first host family, transferred to a new school and moved in with the Bumiller Family. The family was huge. “It was so cool, Ingrid said. I had a mom, dad, two brothers, two sisters, two grandmothers and an aunt and her lesbian lover.”
“We had a huge lawn and everyone was there,” she added. “There were five houses, two for storage, one for each grandmother, and the other home was ours. I love them so much. My first family was cold and unwelcoming. Now, when I come home everyone is there and everyone is playful.”
Ingrid’s spirits were not the only thing that got better. Her school work got better too. She was driven to understand the German language. She spoke with her new family all the time so that the language stayed fresh in her mind. Ingrid still kept in touch with her biological family. Her mother was helping her get ready for college. She called Ingrid’s uncle, Ben Fong, in the United States to help her find a college that would help Ingrid.
Her uncle suggested that Ingrid go to Virginia Tech, his alma mater. He also suggested that Ingrid study Industrial Systems Engineering because it was the best fit for her personality.
In July 2005, Ingrid left Germany and returned home to Hong Kong. However, her stay was short. She had to go to the United States and begin her college career.
While Ingrid was a foreign exchange student, she was taking college level courses. However, she does not have her high school diploma. Her equivalent was her H.K.C.E.E., her SATs and her Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), which she took in Germany.
Ingrid is just one of the 1,400 international students who represent over 100 countries at Virginia Tech. She is an 18-year-old freshman industrial systems engineering major. Ingrid has made many friends while at Virginia Tech. Janaka Siriwardena, a sophomore computer engineering major, said, “I’ve never seen a person so self-motivated. She takes charge of her life.”
When it comes to expressing herself, Ingrid feels more comfortable here in the United States than she did in Germany. “I learned in Germany to ask questions when I need help with another language’s words,” she said. “I had to humble myself and be honest. That is probably one of the best lessons I have learned.”
However, there are parts of the English language that she does not understand. “I can’t keep up with slang,” she said. “I laugh along but I can’t keep up with it. It can be very confusing.”
Ingrid is a fighter. She sets standards for herself that seem impossible, yet she continues to meet those standards even in the face of adversity.
“I’m looking forward to next year,” she said. “I have a lot to do. I’m taking 18-credit hours and I’m taking 12 this summer. It is going to be crazy, and I know it is going to be tough. But, I’m going to do it. My parents never pushed me… I push myself.”
Reprinted with permission from Planet Blacksburg, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Written by Colt Malone; April 26, 2006.
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