Critique: The Valedictorians Project (Boston Globe)

I must admit that I am not good at studying. That is to say; I have to spend a very long time preparing my paper and exams to get a good GPA. I think this is a cultural philosophy of many Asian students. We prepare for exams and homework carefully, be good students, and have an excellent transcript to apply to a better university. When I read the chapter The Valedictorians Project- LOST ON CAMPUS, I found that I have a lot of resonance. I didn’t know the story behind VADVICTORIANS very much before. Still, I found that what they have experienced or are experiencing may be the same as many people, such as being the first person in the family to get a high diploma, such as unable to integrate into the campus. Most people may envy some people’s good grades but don’t know how much effort these people put behind, or how many background stories behind them can tell you.

This project reminded me of two words “dream” and “reality”. Some people may have thought about who they will become in the future. Still, in the end, due to various reasons, such as not understanding the application and examination procedures, such as being unable to overcome mental obstacles, they finally chose reality. There are no people in the world who are successful in everything and everywhere. Only when they have the knowledge, work hard, and strong heart can push them to overcome various difficulties. However, admittedly, there is much unfairness in this world. This is also why this project was created: to spread stories, let more people learn the stories, and make changes.

I like the processing of data visualization in this project, which is particularly shocking and easy to understand. I also like that they put out many Valedictorians’ photos, and everyone has a short introduction or motto, which is very encouraging. But for the rest, I think the text is a bit too much, but the impact on people becomes less. Besides, I can’t clearly know where I should start reading and where the end is due to too much stuff. If each part of the project can be described with more visual data, interviews, pictures, and less text, I think it will achieve better results.