Chris Wu is from California, he immigrated to the United States when he was 15 from Shanghai, China. He is now 24 years old with bachelor degrees in Physics and Asian Studies from UC Berkeley. He enjoys volunteering, Chinese and Mexican food and badminton.
Alumni Spotlight: Chris Wu
Photos
Why did you decide to enroll with Guizhou Forerunner College in China?
It was March, 2012. I was turned down from a reserch internship position in Germany which they had previously admitted me. Thus, I was in a panic and summer starts in May. I went on our college’s job and internship online database for UC Berkeley, the Calisto.
I searched for internship position and typed saw Guizhou Forerunner College’s post. I’m a Chinese immigrant to the States, thus I found it attractive to go back and see a different place in China.
I was especially interested in the school’s aim in helping out the local underprivileged, especially the minority girls. Therefore, I decided to apply and go there.
Tell me about one person you met.
One of my student, Louis, whom I tutored after class is a very interesting student. He is of Tujia minority and came from a mountain village, he’s in fact the descendent of the village chief.
He told me many interesting stories of their local customs and the sad fact that he and other younger generation does not see the need or benefit of learning their own language and script which differs from Mandarin Chinese.
He also shared a lot of folktales and stories with me. Many of them are fascinating in that you can tell that there is some superstition involved. But at the same time they reflected real life problems such as urbanization and corporations forcing farmers out and the retaliations from the farmer community, etc.
If you could go back and do something differently, what would it be?
If I could go back, I would love to teach more in classes and spend more time with the Chinese students, listen to their stories, the folk tales from their villages, and I should record them down.
What was the best moment of the entire trip?
The best moment of the trip was the day when I left. On the same day several other volunteer interns were leaving too. Students came to see us off in tears, and we were all very moved by their sincerity and love.
How has this experience impacted your future?
Personally, I met my girlfriend here. Professionally, I went back to GFC after I graduated from UC Berkeley to work for them and try to start an international student program there. I will probably be here for two years so I can gain valuable teaching and administration experiences that will help me in the future.