Name: Sara Ghazi
Age: 18
Nationality: Filipino
Profession: Student
Answer: One time, I was in the supermarket looking for my aunt. When I “found” her, I leaned on her shoulder only to find out that it wasn’t her…so I quickly ran away! I dealt with it by not letting it bother me too much. After all everyone makes mistakes!
Name: Arianna Sharghi
Age: 18
Nationality: Iranian-American
Profession: Student
Answer: It’s more of a constant struggle than a single event. I’m one of the clumsiest people that you’ll ever meet so I’m always breaking things and falling down. I don’t deal with it; I’ve learned to live with it instead!
Name: Sheetal Raghunath
Age: 22
Nationality: Indian
Profession: Student
Answer: I was at a park a few years ago and decided to climb a tree just for fun. It wasn’t until I had reached the highest branch that I realized I had no way to get down… except to jump. So that’s what I ended up doing which resulted in my hitting the ground flat on my face with everyone close by laughing at me. I quickly got up, pretended nothing happen and walked off. I learned not to climb trees anymore!
Name: Ameera Chowdhury
Age: 16
Nationality: British
Profession: Student
Answer: Year 3 + talent show = not my thing! I was supposed to be reciting a really lengthy poem with my friend and we had rehearsed every single day for literally hours! But when I got on stage on the day I forgot all my lines and just stood there as still as a lollipop! The whole audience were silent and they all just stared at the little 8 year old me…wondering when I would open my mouth. It was so embarrassing the image stays clear in my head, and I never want to hear about talent shows or poems ever again. I think I learned that being confident and relaxed is the best way to be. Negative thoughts will just end up with a negative possibility!
Name: Zeina Foda
Age: 19
Nationality: Egyptian
Profession: Student
Answer: I got a really bad cold last semester and I wasn’t able to attend one of my classes, so I emailed professor to excuse me for absence due to my sickness. When I walked in late for the next class, my professor paused the discussion she was having with the class to ask me if I was still sick. At first touched by her consideration, I told her I was still unwell but better. She then proceeded to ask me – in front of all my classmates – to take a seat alone on the opposite side of the classroom because she didn’t want me to ‘infect’ her with my cold. Shocked by the manner of it all, I took my seat as far away from her as possible as my classmates gave me sympathetic glances. Moral of the story: just stay home when you’re sick.
Name: Rohan Sood
Age: 15
Nationality: Indian
Profession: Student
Answer: Once in sixth grade, I came back from recess tired and exhausted and fell into my chair. I felt something sharp poke me and I cried out in pain. I realized that my “friend” had placed a fountain pen vertically on my chair. It was the most embarrassing and painful thing that I had ever experienced! I learned the lesson that trust is sparse in the world!
Name: Kevin Joseph
Age: 24
Nationality: Indian
Profession: Student
Answer: In a competition I was given the task of selling innerwear. I was trying to sell it quickly so I showed it to one lady and she thought I was making fun of her. She tried to slap me but I quickly explained the competition to her and managed to sort it out. The lesson that I learned from this is to always be careful when you deal with different people!
Name: Shuja Warsi
Age: 20
Nationality: Indian
Profession: Student
Answer: When I was a senior in school, we always bullied the juniors by calling their mobile phones. We were caught by our principal and suspended from school for a week! I learned that, as a senior, you should never take advantage of those who are younger than you in school.
