Janet G. '27

Kia Ora! I’m Janet, and the first thing you will probably learn about me is that I’m a Kiwi. Now, when you look that up on Wikipedia, you’ll notice that you hit a disambiguation: bird, fruit, or nationality? I’ve got a case for all three.

I hail from the mighty lands of Aotearoa, which also has a more common name called New Zealand. My love for hokey pokey ice cream and our glow worm caves will prove more about my identity than what my passport could ever do. As a NZ Born Chinese, I certainly find a lot of resonance with the Kiwifruit, the native Chinese fruit that became naturalised and integrated into the NZ identity. Still, I think the Kiwi bird is actually the most true representation of me: I, too, am flightless, half-blind (which is what my optometrist would tell me if I ever visited her), and way too nocturnal for my own good!

It’s lovely to meet you; I’m so excited to tell you about my homeland’s native birds, serenading my friends in unconventional places, and anything else that reminds me of how this world is full of love. Come find me sleeping on cardboard boxes at HackMIT or appropriating the British accent in my floor on Burton-Conner (rush C2 rahhh)! I’ll see you around :)