Keanu Tjon Jaw Chong

My name is Keanu Tjon Jaw Chong, I am 18 years old, and I hail from the Caribbean Island called St. Maarten. A tiny island of around 87km². My field of interest at UCR is the science department, particularly the Pre-Med track. I chose UCR because it allowed me to continue doing what I had been doing back on St. Maarten namely: Interacting with people from all walks of life while keeping my education feeling personal and free. After my studies I hope to Join Médecins Sans Frontières and bring treatment to the people and places that need it most. My first impressions of living in Middelburg are very different to what I was expecting when I was applying for UCR. Living in Middelburg I expected it to be a relatively isolated as everyone would have differing courses. However, I have found myself in more group study sessions and dinners with friends and housemates than I could ever have imagined to be possible. My favorite UCR experience I’d like to share is that of the time a group of friends and I took a late-night bike trip out to the water to sing and dance to some music.