Leslie Sparling '22

Admissions Counselor
(she/her/hers)

Home Admissions & Aid Contact Us Find Your Counselor Leslie Sparling '22

Email: lsparling@wlu.edu
Text: 540-254-5850
Regions: Florida, Maryland, Montana, Nebraska, Virginia (Fairfax), Wisconsin, Wyoming

Short Answer Prompt

To help jumpstart your brainstorming and to demonstrate that we empathize with the challenges you face in applying to college, our staff has published their own responses to our supplemental short-answer prompts. We hope you'll enjoy learning a bit about us and will feel more comfortable showcasing something new about yourself. Remember, these are optional, and you are asked to submit only one.

Prompt #4 (Max 250 words or 2-Minute Video)
On a residential college campus with a Speaking Tradition that encourages connections between individuals, using each other's names matters. Please share the story of any name you go by and what significance it holds for you. To be honest, I’ve always hated my name. Strangers, friends, and family use it to address me...but I have two names, and neither really fit. Most people call me “Leslie.” If you ask me the origin, I’d tell you that I was named after my paternal grandfather, whom I never met. The problem is that his name was actually Wesley! Not a great name for a little girl, so my parents took some liberties with it. My Korean name is a different story, though – 서분이 (seo-bu-ni) – chosen by my maternal grandfather. It doesn’t mean “pearl” or “crystal” like my sisters’ names. It means “mistake” (he wanted a boy)! Don’t worry, I don’t mind because it’s not a meaning you can learn by just popping it into Google Translate. I feel like neither name really fits me, just like being white or Korean doesn’t fit me. I've always been torn between worlds. I hated pizza and loved kimchi stew, but I couldn’t speak Korean. I couldn’t communicate with my Korean aunts and uncles, but I also didn’t really care for Thanksgiving football either. It took me years to realize that I’m not “half this” or “half that.” I’m simply ... mixed! Therefore, my lived experiences are not strictly white, American, Asian, or Korean. I don’t have to pick between cultures or walk the line. So, whether you call me Leslie or 서분이, that’s up to you. I am both cultures and they are both me!

Prompt #4 (Max 250 words or 2-Minute Video)

On a residential college campus with a Speaking Tradition that encourages connections between individuals, using each other's names matters. Please share the story of any name you go by and what significance it holds for you.

To be honest, I’ve always hated my name. Strangers, friends, and family use it to address me...but I have two names, and neither really fit. Most people call me “Leslie.” If you ask me the origin, I’d tell you that I was named after my paternal grandfather, whom I never met. The problem is that his name was actually Wesley! Not a great name for a little girl, so my parents took some liberties with it.

My Korean name is a different story, though – 서분이 (seo-bu-ni) – chosen by my maternal grandfather. It doesn’t mean “pearl” or “crystal” like my sisters’ names. It means “mistake” (he wanted a boy)! Don’t worry, I don’t mind because it’s not a meaning you can learn by just popping it into Google Translate.

I feel like neither name really fits me, just like being white or Korean doesn’t fit me. I've always been torn between worlds. I hated pizza and loved kimchi stew, but I couldn’t speak Korean. I couldn’t communicate with my Korean aunts and uncles, but I also didn’t really care for Thanksgiving football either. It took me years to realize that I’m not “half this” or “half that.” I’m simply ... mixed! Therefore, my lived experiences are not strictly white, American, Asian, or Korean. I don’t have to pick between cultures or walk the line. So, whether you call me Leslie or 서분이, that’s up to you. I am both cultures and they are both me!

Admissions & Aid