Upon graduating from high school in Germany, I received news of an opportunity to move to Shanghai, China with my mom. Before considering what this could actually mean for me, my mind was quick to survey all of the travel possibilities in store. My four years in Germany were rapidly coming to a close and I was eager to continue the unique nature of my “story”. I was eager to branch out and do something different than the majority of my fellow classmates. Attaining a post-secondary education had never been a question of “if”, but “when” for me. During the seven months between graduation and moving to Shanghai, I attended introductory Chinese courses at the Foreign Service Institute, and classes at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC). …show more content…
immigration policy and implementation. This provided me with another chance to practice my spoken Chinese with the local staff, who were always excited to chat. Simultaneously, I came across a tutoring agency to pair me with students of all ages to hold one-on-one English lessons. This benefited me in more ways than I had imagined it would. First and foremost, working so intimately with the local people helped integrate me into China, as I was invited into students’ homes to teach class. I learned just how incredibly hospitable Chinese people are when attending to guests. Second, it enabled me to grow more confident by stepping into a leadership role. This role of imparting knowledge and communicating across cultures was truly a new experience and it was one that I came to really like. Lastly, with the money I’ve earned, I’ve learned how to properly budget for traveling to destinations across Asia and Europe. After meeting many students in the city and hearing about the great Chinese programs offered at most of the universities in Shanghai, I decided to check it out for myself. I chose to sign up for the one year Chinese Intensive Program at Jiaotong University to further my studies from just private lessons twice a week to group classes, five days a week. Since completing the first semester, my ability to speak, listen, read, and write Chinese has improved