By Sydney Wilmer and Katie DePaola

This project was inspired by the idea that each person has a distinct story, and it is important to get to know each other in order to make this big world a bit smaller. It is also based on the notion that our differences are what make us unique.

Only by facing our own misunderstandings can we begin to break down the walls we have created.

Read about Jean below. But just reading about these individuals isn't enough to understand their struggles, passions and unique stories. To hear Jean discuss labels in her own words, click here.

Labels do not matter to senior Jean Son.

Though it has taken time, she can talk about it now because she finally feels comfortable with herself.

"I've struggled with issues of identity, about fitting in and issues of class and ethnic differences," Son explained calmly.

As an Asian-American, cultural belonging involves more than one would expect. She is not simply Korean, and she is more than just American. But sometimes neither description seems to apply.

Son considers America her home, but she finds herself firmly in the minority at Vanderbilt. And when visiting her father in Korea, she feels out of place in a different way, often labeled a foreigner and forced to deal with curious stares.

So for Son, fitting in depends less on the ideas of others and more about self-confidence and determination.

Her experiences this summer in America and Korea highlighted the struggle of identity creation, forcing Son to ask what happens when labels do not fit.

American in Korea

In Korea, people around Son considered her American.

Even though she visits twice a year, an internship at a real estate firm tested her confidence in her own identity. At times, people considered her a foreigner in a place her father calls home.

"When I was in Korea, tensions ran high," Son said. "For some reason, it felt like it was really obvious that I wasn't from around, and that made me uncomfortable."

Even in daily interactions, Son struggled to fit in. Though conversational in Korean, Son needed the help of another intern to understand some of the more technical aspects of her job.

"I made mistakes," she said. "In the workplace, the cultural clash was the strongest."

Even outside the workplace, Son said she felt conspicuous and unsure of the expectations of Korean culture.

"When I went out to eat dinner with my father and his partners, I wondered if it was appropriate to engage in conversation, or if I was supposed to be the daughter," Son said. "A woman, or a younger person, is expected to be more of a listener than a talker."

Though most Americans label her Asian based on appearance, Koreans had a different opinion.

"I didn't feel like I fit the Korean beauty standard," she said. "There is an emphasis on Western features, pale skin. Koreans are curious about foreigners, so I felt like people stared. I definitely felt like I stood out from the pack."

Korean in America

But in New York City, where she was raised, people saw her as an outsider too.

Early in the summer, Son worked as a receptionist at a nail salon in New York City and as an intern for the Web site Gurl.com.

Son said she rarely experienced any kind of discrimination, but ignorance was not uncommon.

"There was the one crazy lady who would come in and ask one of the girls, ǃÚDid you just come over from the Orient? Did you just get off the boat?'" Son said. "It was offensive, but she was crazy, so it was OK."

And cultural differences existed even between Son and her Asian colleagues. Though many of the other employees at the nail salon were Asian, most were Chinese. Son said connecting with them was difficult and sometimes caused conflict - especially when she made mistakes.

"At first I didn't know what I was doing, so it would cause tension. They would talk about me in Chinese," Son said. "I couldn't understand what they were saying, but it was obvious."

But a willingness to learn more about each other eventually led to greater understanding. One co-worker watched Son log into Facebook and expressed interest in her life, though they did not share many of the same experiences.

"She was really curious about the things I did in college because she had been working at the nail salon to support herself," Son said.

After a summer of standing out from the crowd, Son is more comfortable with herself than ever before.

"It is so rewarding to be able to work through these kinds of issues," she said. "There is no reason to let the issue of identity get the best of you."