{"id":235,"date":"2026-08-27T14:16:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-27T06:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/4mber.tw\/?p=235"},"modified":"2026-08-27T14:19:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-27T06:19:10","slug":"about-me-the-shift-from-convention-to-conviction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/?p=235","title":{"rendered":"About Me: The Shift from Convention to Conviction"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. The Conventional Path and the Quiet Discontent<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"396899\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"683\" height=\"1024\"    src=\"http:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4929-683x1024.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-236 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #396899; aspect-ratio:0.6669963105245141;width:175px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4929-683x1024.webp 683w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4929-200x300.webp 200w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4929-768x1151.webp 768w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4929-1025x1536.webp 1025w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4929-1140x1709.webp 1140w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4929-77x116.webp 77w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4929.webp 1169w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 175px) 100vw, 175px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like most students in Taiwan\u2019s public high school system, my initial trajectory was straightforward: follow the traditional domestic examination track and advance along the conventional academic ladder. Outside the classroom, I threw myself into various social projects and fieldwork, but as university entrance exams loomed closer, a deep sense of disorientation surfaced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I found myself questioning the person I truly wanted to become. Looking at the standardized tests ahead, I realized a conventional path could not fulfill my curiosity. Reflecting on my real-world inquiries\u2014from demographic research to rural fieldwork\u2014I recognized that the issues I wanted to explore were deeply anchored in East Asian societal dynamics, particularly in <strong>Japan&#8217;s intersection of demographic decline, regional strategy, and public policy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Breaking the Mold: Forging My Own Path<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deciding to step outside the standard Taiwanese examination framework from a local public high school was an uphill battle. With limited institutional roadmaps for international admissions, I had to build my own pathway from scratch:<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"7f817d\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\"    src=\"http:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4495-1024x768.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-237 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #7f817d; width:251px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4495-1024x768.webp 1024w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4495-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4495-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4495-1140x855.webp 1140w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4495-155x116.webp 155w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/IMG_4495.webp 1477w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 251px) 100vw, 251px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Academic &amp; Linguistic Independence<\/strong>: Rigorously self-studying Japanese, preparing for and mastering the IELTS, and building an empirical research portfolio while managing my high school curriculum.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Information Architecture<\/strong>: Navigating complex overseas application systems, evaluating policy curricula across borders, and synthesizing my field inquiries into verifiable academic narratives.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The uncertainty was daunting, but every obstacle gave me absolute clarity about my direction. I was no longer running on a pre-set track; I was actively designing my own future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. The Destination: Keio SFC Faculty of Policy Management<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"86a4bf\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"673\"   src=\"http:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/\u622a\u5716-2026-08-27-\u4e0b\u53482.15.52-1024x673.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-238 not-transparent\" style=\"--dominant-color: #86a4bf; aspect-ratio:1.5215668515793048;width:462px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/\u622a\u5716-2026-08-27-\u4e0b\u53482.15.52-1024x673.webp 1024w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/\u622a\u5716-2026-08-27-\u4e0b\u53482.15.52-300x197.webp 300w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/\u622a\u5716-2026-08-27-\u4e0b\u53482.15.52-768x505.webp 768w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/\u622a\u5716-2026-08-27-\u4e0b\u53482.15.52-1140x749.webp 1140w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/\u622a\u5716-2026-08-27-\u4e0b\u53482.15.52-500x330.webp 500w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/\u622a\u5716-2026-08-27-\u4e0b\u53482.15.52-176x116.webp 176w, https:\/\/4mber.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/\u622a\u5716-2026-08-27-\u4e0b\u53482.15.52.webp 1296w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Keio University SFC website.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through this deliberate journey of self-determination, my aspiration crystallized: the <strong>Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University SFC<\/strong><sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SFC\u2019s core philosophy\u2014refusing disciplinary silos, viewing policy as the practical choices people make to drive social action, and fostering leaders who solve real-world crises\u2014mirrors the exact researcher I strive to become<sup><\/sup>. I am not seeking an ivory-tower education; I am coming to SFC to combine data, policy, and grassroots fieldwork to build resilient communities for our shared future<sup><\/sup>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>1. The Conventional Path and the Quiet Discontent Like most students in Taiwan\u2019s public high school system, my initial trajectory was straightforward: follow the traditional domestic examination track and advance along the conventional academic ladder. Outside the classroom, I threw myself into various social projects and fieldwork, but as university entrance exams loomed closer, a deep sense of disorientation surfaced. I found myself questioning the person I truly wanted to become. Looking at the standardized tests ahead, I realized a conventional path could not fulfill my curiosity. Reflecting on my real-world inquiries\u2014from demographic research to rural fieldwork\u2014I recognized that the issues I wanted to explore were deeply anchored in East Asian societal dynamics, particularly in Japan&#8217;s intersection of demographic decline, regional strategy, and public policy. 2. Breaking the Mold: Forging My Own Path Deciding to step outside the standard Taiwanese examination framework from a local public high school was an uphill battle. With limited institutional roadmaps for international admissions, I had to build my own pathway from scratch: The uncertainty was daunting, but every obstacle gave me absolute clarity about my direction. I was no longer running on a pre-set track; I was actively designing my own future. 3. The Destination: Keio SFC Faculty of Policy Management Through this deliberate journey of self-determination, my aspiration crystallized: the Faculty of Policy Management at Keio University SFC. SFC\u2019s core philosophy\u2014refusing disciplinary silos, viewing policy as the practical choices people make to drive social action, and fostering leaders who solve real-world crises\u2014mirrors the exact researcher I strive to become. I am not seeking an ivory-tower education; I am coming to SFC to combine data, policy, and grassroots fieldwork to build resilient communities for our shared future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-about"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=235"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239,"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/235\/revisions\/239"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/4mber.tw\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}