China: A Year Later

China- a year later

Februrary 8, 2013

It was a year ago today that I went to China to teach for a semester at Sias University.  While I only stayed for three months, I still feel a trememdnous connection to all of the people I met there.  I still hear regularly from many of my students.

One student, Tina, in now studying at Fort Hayes University in Iowa.  Selia was here this summer and is now back in CA, doing an internship for an NGO.  She is going to research Chinese policies as they related to child welfare.  One student, Gabrielle, is just finsihing up a one month trip here. She came with a select group of students who participated in a workshop at the University of Arizona.  Agatha is studying for her GREs so she must be thinking of studying abroad.  Emily has returned to her village and working for a small company.  She is worried about losing her English skills. As I read her emails, I see her skills slipping away.  

Olivia has stepped up as the new student leader of the World Academy and I can just hear her confidence soaring with each new email.  Gloria continues to plug away at being a genuinely nice person.  Corina is worried about her brother who dropped out of school to get married.   Amber has been quite lately.  I haven't heard from her so I hope things are alright.  

There are several students that I never heard from again.  I set all of them up on google email accounts so we could stay connected.  But they just never go to this site.  They set me up with a QQ account which is the Chinese facebook.  But I cant figure it out.  So we have slipped away from each other.  And that is my lose.