當學生把大學或是學院稱作“家”的時候，這些大學和學院才會與他們的學生一樣優秀。作為斯坦福的畢業生，我認為與優秀的同學以及令人尊敬的教授共同學習是我本科大學生活中最令人振奮的經歷。
      Any college or university is only as good as the people who call it home. As a recent graduate of Stanford University, I can say for sure that being surrounded by talented peers and esteemed professors is one of the most inspiring parts of the undergraduate experience. 
      也許你可能會想，斯坦福的學生都有什麼樣的特質呢?  其實很難把我們斯坦福的學生歸納到一種類型。但激情和創新精神可能是每個斯坦福學生所具備的兩個特質。下面是一些實例。
      So you might be wondering, what is the typical profile of a Stanford student? While it is impossible to boil us down to any particular "type," two qualities many Stanford students share are passion and innovative spirit. Below are some examples.
      被斯坦福錄取的同時，我還獲得了可以支持一項獨立研究項目所需的獎學金。我很喜歡出國旅遊以及學習語言，所以我設計了一個可以讓我在北京做研究的項目。斯坦福是鼓勵學生在各個領域進行獨立學習和研究的。其實，這也是矽谷建立的初衷——它是我們州（加州），甚至是國家創新的搖籃。
      Along with my acceptance letter, Stanford awarded me a scholarship to carry out an independent research project. I was interested in traveling abroad and studying language so I designed a project that allowed me to do research in Beijing. Stanford encourages students to pursue independent study and original research in areas of interest. Indeed, this is how Silicon Valley - the cradle of innovation for our state and even our nation - was built.
      我表妹上個春季剛從斯坦福畢業，她對藝術充滿了熱情。在斯坦福上學的期間，她與同學建立了一個印度設計和醫學實驗技術公司，致力於降低第三國家早產嬰兒的死亡率。這個項目使得她在充分發揮了她在設計方面的天賦的同時貢獻於社會。
      My cousin, who just graduated from Stanford last spring, has always had a strong affinity for the arts. During her time at Stanford, she worked with her classmates in a startup company in India designing and testing medical technology to reduce the mortality rate of premature babies in third world countries. This project allowed her to combine her talent in design with a desire to improve society.
      斯坦福大學被facebook、Google以及Youtube的總部所圍繞，它也傳承了矽谷的創業精神。在畢業之際，很多同學已開始創業之旅，包括網站設計公司、手機金融服務、紀錄片、電視節目甚至時尚品牌。
      With neighbors like Facebook, Google, and YouTube, Stanford campus teems with the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley. Since graduation, several other classmates have started new ventures ranging from website design companies, to mobile phone financial services, to documentaries, to television shows, and even fashion labels. 
      另外一個被當地報紙所報導的事件就是斯坦福工程系的學生設計了太陽能動力的汽車。在這個星期，他們設計的太陽能汽車將在澳大利亞參加國際太陽能汽車競賽。像所有其他的斯坦福學生們一樣，他們把熱情帶出了教室、實驗室和工作室之外。他們的熱情感染了整個世界。
      Yet another example featured in today's local newspaper is the team of Stanford engineering students who have designed a solar-powered car that will race in an international solar car competition this week in Australia. They, like many other Stanford students, are taking their passions outside of the lecture halls, studios, and labs and into the real world. 
      雖然我已經高中畢業10年了，我依舊記得高中的壓力以及失去重點的迷茫。有些學生一味追求平均成績，有些學生樣樣通卻無法專注於自己的熱情。
      Though it has been a full decade since I was a high school senior, I still remember the many pressures of high school and how easy it can be to lose focus on what's really important. Some students get bogged down in maintaining high GPA, while others are good at so many things that identifying one passion seems hard. 
      請你換一種思維：如果你有一萬美金可以做很震撼的事情，你會做什麼？如果你無法聽見你內心的聲音，你對這個問題的答案可能會給你點思路。當然，斯坦福致力於尋找有激情的人，這些人將用他們獲得的教育作為平臺來追尋他們的熱情，影響整個世界。
      Think about it this way: if you had $10,000 to do something amazing, what would you do? If you are stumped about your true life calling, answering this question might give you a clue. Certainly, Stanford looks for passionate, engaged individuals who will use their college education as a platform to follow their passions and make an impact on the world. 
      Evan Brown（陽光國際教育美國名校申請專家）
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