Autobiography of Jeffrey Li - Essay Example

My father lives in Hong Kong. I grew up in a high-class family, where both my parents were family providers.

My father is a rights activist whereas my mother is a local politician. I quickly learned about the political structure of my country. I wanted to fight for my people’s rights.

Unemployment, insecurity, and corruption was the subject of discussion at our dinner table. These discussions enlightened me in many ways. I remember giving a talk at the Mumbai music festival, about the challenges of most governments.

Later as a teenager, I became active in high school politics. I represented the Shanghai students in the national student council. Despite having ambitious dreams, many things influenced my path.

I started hanging out with students who smoked marijuana and participated in vices in society. It made the school reverse my scholarship to join Macau College for engineers. 

I always dreamt of joining the army. I wanted to fight for my country and demonstrate my patriotism. After completing my basic training, I was assigned to the People’s Liberation Army. It was an event that shifted my life forever because I learned to be more responsible.

From the start, I had made it clear I wanted to join Shanghai politics. When I announced to my parents that I had joined the army, they were puzzled, especially my mother. My mother told me I risked my life, and that I may not live my dream of being Shanghai’s mayor.

Seeing no alternatives, I retired from the army and continued with my quest to join Shanghai politics. I worked for the community, for instance, one day I mobilized the local people to collect garbage.

Eventually, in early 2013, I got a $4500 scholarship from the municipality of Shanghai to attend Duke Kunshan University to pursue political science. It was a dream come true for me.

Towards the end of 2013, I became a member of the university’s students’ governing body. I was elected the special needs secretary. Involvement with the students’ governing body opened my eyes more, and it was a huge turning point for me.

Since joining the students’ governing body, I have worked and occupied various senior positions in an acting capacity. In January this year, I was the acting president of the governing body, since the incumbent president was impeached on allegations of nepotism.

Since I was a political student at the university, I applied for an internship in the office of the prime minister. As the head of communications in the Prime Minister’s office pointed out to me during the interview, I was chosen because he felt I would do my duties diligently.

As a result of working in the Prime Minister’s office, I took a leave from my role in the students’ governing body; however, I still retained all my rights.

 It proved to be a wise idea, because three weeks into the internship, the Prime Minister fired me for being a whistle-blower in a corruption case in the court. I filed a grievance in the Supreme Court, but I saw it as a time waste.

While as a student at the university, I wish to be the president of the student body. Currently, I am an active leader, adhering to my responsibilities as a special needs secretary.

My involvement in the university’s politics has helped me gain fame in China. I took advantage of this situation to help the local communities in advocating their rights. Recently, my father and I participated in a demonstration to advocate the removal of the Prime Minister from office.