Smart Kids!!!

To follow up on my post, Global Impact, I thought I would expound on the term TCK. TCK stands for Third Culture Kid, but what exactly is a TCK? The definition, taken from the book of the same title, is as follows:

"A third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her life outside of their parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background."

I wanted to encourage you who are raising your children overseas by the following survey results. The survey was carried out by MK CART/CORE. A group of 10 sending agencies ( Mission agencies) surveyed 608 ATCK's (adult third culture kids) and it is obvious they do well academically.
*30% of the respondents graduated from High School with Honors
*27% were elected to National Honor Society
*73% graduated from university
*25% graduated from university with honors
*3% were Phi Beta Kappas
*11% were listed in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities

Another survey revealed that a high percentage of TCK's go on to postsecondary school education. And yet another survey, done in 1993, showed that while 21% of the American population as a whole had graduated from a 4 year college or university, 81% of TCK's had earned at least a bachelor's degree. Half of them went on to earn master's or doctorate degrees.

This was written by an Australian ATCK who grew up in India. "Uniquely Me" by Alex Graham James.

I am
a confusion of cultures.
Uniquely me.
I think this is good
because I can
understand
the traveler, sojourner, foreigner,
the homesickness
that comes.
I think this is also bad
because I can not
be understood
by the person who has sown and grown in one place.
They know not
the real meaning of homesickness
that hits me
now and then.
Sometimes I despair of
understanding them.
I am an island
and
a United Nations.
Who can recognize either in me
but God?

I think what is interesting, is that I find this poem to be quite melancholic, but my children seem to find "comfort" in it. They are glad to see that others feel as they do. A separate group of TCK's that somehow belong together, whether they were raised in Asia, Africa, Europe...matters not. They belong to each other.