I am so humbled to have this opportunity to share about Granny, my pen pal for the past twelve years.  She’s from Paris, fifty years older than me, and we met when my dad’s French professor introduced us during a family trip to France. Before I left, she gave me a carved wooden angel. Back home, I wrote her a thank-you letter, and we have been writing to each other ever since. Over twelve years, we have grown so close through just letters. I share with her highlights of my week, everything from roommate dates to kayaking on the Charles River to splurging at a late night diner, to which she comments, “That is SO American.” Claiming to “grow young again” through my letters, Granny reminds me of how fortunate I am to have met so many different types of people and encourages me to cherish each experience with others.With every letter I receive from her, I am inspired by her kind, loving soul. She often devotes hours to decorating her envelopes with colorful magazine collages. More importantly, she’s the type of person who gives hot soup to homeless people in the subway stations during the winter.  Granny also writes to a death row inmate in Texas, keeping him updated with the world beyond the bars and offering light in his dark world. Her wisdom, generosity, and empathy for others have inspired me and opened me to a world beyond school, friends, and family. Because of Granny, I think about people more than anything, and I hope to follow her footsteps of adding that human touch to each of my goals.I call her Granny because she is a true grandmother to me. Even with 5,579 miles and many other barriers between us, words bind our international and inter-generational relationship. Through our communication, I have adopted her love of humanity and become more human myself. An unintended blessing, this friendship has inspired me to cherish each and every encounter with another person—family, friends, or strangers—not by concentrating on the superficial differences but by appreciating the intrinsic similarities.  I believe there is value in every person, and to participate in Square would be a true blessing and opportunity to learn from others.A Microsoft Surface 2.0 Application