What We Have In Common
“Well-written and well-spoken words delight my soul and spirit,” says Mi-Ae Wartenbee. New friendship delights my soul and spirit, and it is such a joy to connect with Mi-Ae (pronounced Mee-eh ), who exemplifies her name meaning: beautiful love. At first glance, it may not seem like Mi-Ae and I have much in common. She is the Unit Chief of the Evaluation and Mitigation Unit at the Department of Justice. I teach elementary school. She was born and raised in Korea and I have lived in the U.S. my entire life. But I have a theory: when you take the time to connect and form a relationship with someone, you will realize how much you have in common. Collaborating on a project together in our journalism class at UPenn gave me an opportunity to test my hypothesis. It doesn’t take us long to discover two things we have in common. “I’m a voracious reader and coffee lover,” Mi-Ae tells me. I love her already! Mi-Ae reads an impressive panoply of genres, includin...