The Education Division of TECO in Chicago held an orientation for the 2015 MOE Huayu Scholarship winners before they set off to Taiwan
The most outstanding students were selected from all the excellent students recommended by their university, in most cases, or their school. They all have good Mandarin pronunciation and tones after studying Chinese for only 4 years.
They include: Harrison Beard, who just graduated from Naperville Northern High School. He’s preparing to do an intensive Chinese language summer program at the Mandarin Training Center at National Taiwan Normal University. Nathaniel Stein, a sophomore at Indiana University, who has already had many unique Chinese experiences beyond the classroom plans to work in Asia after he graduates. Akusua Owusu-Akyaw, a recent Northwestern University graduate, is excited about this opportunity to make progress in her Mandarin studies. Her goal is to better understand Chinese culture.
During the orientation, all the requirements and benefits of the Huayu Scholarship were explained in detail, along with visa procedures, and some useful pointers about Chinese culture, and cross-cultural interaction. Dana Jensen, who received the 2011 TUSA scholarship, gave a presentation talking about different aspects of life in Taiwan and shared details about accommodation, the arts, food culture, and the ease of public transit, among other things. This is all designed to help them adjust smoothly and enjoy life there in Taiwan while they’re studying and improving their Mandarin.