Raised in the United States with bicultural values, I plan on studying international relations for my masters degree in Beijing. Chinese was technically my first language, the language my parents and grandparents taught me from birth, but after entering primary school, I leaned towards perfecting my English and my identity as an American. After visiting Beijing and China in general at least once a year throughout my life, i have been able to embrace both my Chinese and western identities and wish to better understand the Chinese language in order to succeed in my studies in international relations. Peking University’s intensive language course will help in keeping me accountable in learning the language at a fast pace, as I intend to master the language to a professional level by the time I earn my masters degree and enter the career world in China successfully.