How did you decide on the country of your study abroad program?
As a Chinese flagship student, the program selects the country we go to; however, we are allowed to select the program. I went to Taiwan and participated in the MTC (The Mandarin Training Center) program because it promoted a very personalized experience, such as individual learning, tutoring, and smaller classes.
What were you excited/nervous about before going?
I was excited to learn more about Chinese and getting closer to becoming fluent. I was nervous that my level of speaking would not be as great as everyone else, but I was excited to improve in that area.
What was your favorite place you traveled to while abroad?
My favorite place I traveled to in Taiwan was "JIU FEN", it was a tourist attraction, they had [lots of] food special to [Taiwan], many notable gift shops, and it was closer to the sea. I had a lovely time there. Everyone was very friendly.
How do you think the intersections of your identities and values impacted your study abroad experience?
As a [Black] woman, I had a few biases of my own, I feel as though I assumed that I would in some way be discriminated against, because there were not many African [American] students there and I would get lots of looks from locals. However, it was not as bad as I presumed it to be; Taiwanese people are just very shy, yet friendly. I got lots of comments on how amazing my hair was, which was very nice to hear.
What is one goal you achieved while abroad?
My goal was to be able to hold a conversation with a local. In school they teach us Chinese, but the textbook version, in the United States, at this university, you do not get many chances to speak with people your age, just your teachers and the students also learning the language. It was nice to be able to speak to a local my age and understand everything that they said and be able to reply back in a timely manner. It was just an otherworldly experience because I could actually apply everything that I learned.
What advice would you give to future study abroad students?
Studying abroad will widen your horizons, if you have a place that you would like to study abroad in, go ahead and do it! You will not regret it and you will bring so many people [happiness] just by getting to know their culture/ language. Not only that, but you will develop so many life skills and see changes within yourself and your values.
