Mary Ma, a Political Science/International Relations and Chinese Studies major, is studying at Peking University in Beijing, China. She is ethnically Chinese, was born in Singapore, and calls Northern California home. She has traveled across Asia with her family. Mary writes, “Growing up straddling an individualistic American culture and a collective Chinese culture has given her a great curiosity about understanding people of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds.” That interest was further influenced by travels in Uganda and throughout Europe. At UCSD, she volunteered as an English tutor for international students. Mary has played the cello for ten years in various music ensembles and has a great interest in music. Mary plans to pursue a career in human rights law and is looking forward to deepening her understanding of Chinese culture while expanding her global perspective during her year abroad. In Bejing, Mary has joined the university news corps, where she does English reporting and Chinese to English translation for the Peking University Office of International Relations. She also got an internship at TEDxBeijing and has been working hard preparing for their annual December event. Mary writes, “I’m really glad that I came to China for a year and not just a semester. I’ve gained so many invaluable skills in addition to Chinese and now have clearer goals for my future and career.”