Around the World: My Path in Educational Field

I was born in one of China’s most progressive small towns, which gave me the opportunity to speak with foreigners as early as the 1990s. This was what first sparked my interest in intercultural communication, and this interest drove me to chose English as my major when I started college.

After graduation, I worked as a project manager in a company that specialized in providing teaching tools to schools and universities. The department I worked in was mainly in charge of the exporting business. Most of my clients were therefore experts from educational institutes, faculty and staff from universities, or officials from the Department of Education, both domestic and overseas. I was very moved by their passion for education and their efforts to help students to achieve their educational goals. I wanted to learn as much as I could from them, so I actively participated in programs like providing educational kits to UNICEF and donating teaching kits to schools in rural areas. During my six years working there, I had opportunities to travel around the world to experience the education development in different countries and interact with people from different cultures.

Later I got a chance to move to the United States. While I was living in this country which is reputable for its higher education, the dream which I had been holding on for years －attending college in the U.S. was ignited again.  In order to incorporate my passion for education, my love for intercultural communication, and my strength at program management,  I chose the International Education Management program at Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey(MIIS) as my second graduate study.

I am very satisfied with my learning experience at MIIS because it prepared me theoretical background and practical knowledge to continue my path in the educational field. Now I am an intern at the International Recruitment & Partnership team in San Jose State University (SJSU). My goal is to engage in programs including international students recruitment, study abroad and  international students advising. I believe my previous project management experiences, my study at MIIS, as well as my internship at SJSU, make me a professional international education practitioner.