Name:Athanasius Mdolo安文轩
Nationality:Malawi
Division:Economics, Finance and Management
Year of Enrollment:2019
PLANTING SEASON
I grew up in a town called Mzuzu situated in the northern region of Malawi, Africa. Growing up in a country riddled with its own unique problems, my parents always stressed the need for a decent education. As such, from an early stage, my mother always steered me towards the path of pursuing my highest potential.
To me, Tsinghua University is more than just an amazing educational institution. From an early age, I have always dreamt big, which transformed into a great drive and ambition to chase those dreams. At the university, you are surrounded by some of the most brilliant people from all over the world pushing the frontier in their respective fields of expertise. Teachers who are masters of their craft pass on their knowledge to the next generation of forward thinkers. Then, to top it all off, friends and classmates are eager to take that challenge on. For me personally, being exposed to such an environment boosted that hunger to go on and chase those dreams and has motivated me by showing me that nothing is beyond reach if you remain disciplined in your pursuit.
Upon enrollment to the School of Economics and Management, it became apparent that I had stumbled upon a once in a lifetime opportunity to not only advance myself intellectually but also to holistically improve myself in other aspects of life in areas including physical activity, clubs/societies, and various other interest groups. I developed a love and hate relationship with the commonly recited mantra,“ 无体育不清华(If there’s no sports, there’s no Tsinghua) “,as I meticulously balanced my time between studies and group activities with my classmates on the ever lively Zijing field. It was in these moments that the endless overlaps in interests, hobbies, dreams, and fears were gradually unveiled and morphed into bonds of infinite companionship.
I recall cycling towards my very first lesson, maneuvering through a sea of other students in a uniform tide, flowing through the roads as if they were canals—eager to water the very first seeds sown on the very first planting day, hopeful of a good harvest after a four-year cycle of nurturing and caring for this little seed. From that very first day, I gradually became part of the flow of life within the campus, moving through channels of academic enlightenment, like the Daoist philosophy of flow that ever fascinated me, whilst effortlessly yet consciously appreciating all which I found in my vicinity.
It is almost essential to have a bike on campus and I recall countless times where I would wobble on a straight, near misses with other riders and instances where I would fall off. In other words, my first semester. Figuring out how best to way prepare for my classes, meeting deadlines, trying to comprehend the slides teachers used in class; Chinese is not my mother tongue. Eventually I no longer wobbled on a straight, near misses became quite cinematic and I still haven’t fallen off. This also occurred with how I tackled the challenges faced that semester, arriving to a space much better than where I had started off.
My mother lit that desire in me to reach my highest potential and I embarked on this incredible journey that brought me to Tsinghua University: a chapter I will thoroughly enjoy.
