‘A Person with Perseverance’: Sapphire Tang ’22

At the end of August, the 632 members of the class of 2022 will arrive on campus to begin life as the newest members of a remarkable community of scholars, activists, artists and entrepreneurs.

These new Smithies—who were chosen from the largest applicant pool in the college’s history—bring a diversity of experiences to Smith. As part of a series of profiles of incoming students, Sapphire Tang ’22 describes her dual interests in martial arts and scientific research.

Where home is

I’m from Changsha, China, known as Chairman Mao’s hometown and the capital of Hunan Province. For thousands of years, Changsha’s history and unique geography have rooted its culture. While the picturesque mountains and waters helped bring gentleness and calm to my personality, the turbulent history and social environment also shaped me into a person with perseverance.

Why I chose Smith

My high school counselor strongly recommended that I consider Smith. The college’s beautiful campus, welcoming environment and small classes are appealing to me. As a women’s college, Smith will be helpful to me as I discover and develop my own potential, cultivate my overall strength and prepare for today’s world.

Abiding passion

I am currently a P3 level (third degree) practitioner of Krav Maga, which is an Israeli self-defense system. My family is famous for Kung Fu in China, so somehow I was born with the passion for it.

The second thing I am passionate about is affective science, and I have conducted research at Beijing Normal University, studying the impact of parental conflicts toward adolescents. Affective science is a combination of natural science and social science, and also a combination of the study of flexible inter/intrapersonal relationships and rational data analysis. It’s the reason I want to study psychology at Smith. 

Current project

This summer I am planning to:

• Reach the P5 level of Krav Maga;
• Travel with my friends;
• Learn to cook, and cook for my family for a whole week;
• Get a clear understanding of Chinese history; and
• Volunteer to work in a psychiatric hospital.

What I’m looking forward to the most about my first semester

Trying Smith’s food, for sure.