What is one piece of advice you'd give future students traveling with your program?

Laura: I have two pieces of advice. One, is don't pack too much clothing. Seriously. You don't need as much as you think.In Shanghai, you can get clothes made for a reasonable price and those can act as great souvenirs. Pick versatile clothing and bring layers.

The second, is to make a list of places you'd like to visit on weekend trips and for the week you have free to travel. And if you can, start making plans to go before you even arrive in China. You'll make friends on your trip that may want to come along and it's much less stressful planning a weekend trip when you already know which bus company or train you'd like to take, for example.

Describe a goal you set and how you went about accomplishing it.

Laura: This was the second time I'd been to China and the first time, I did not step out of my comfort zone with practicing my Mandarin. This time, I was determined to improve. I always spoke Chinese when I could, even with my American friends.

It was also helpful to be surrounded by the Chinese roommates because they are incredibly helpful when you're struggling or even just practicing. I also kept a journal with characters I often forgot. I also filled it with characters I saw often but did not know the meaning of. That helped me develop both my colloquial vocabulary and character retention.

Do you think your program changed you as a person?

Laura: Yes, it most definitely did. My biggest take away from my study abroad experience was the confidence I gained as a foreign language speaker, traveler, and adult. I learned how to navigate a new city and now feel much more confident that I can adapt to living abroad in the future.

This trip changed me for the better. The valuable traveling skills I acquired will help me both when I'm in the US and when I got abroad again. Linguistically speaking, I now understand how silly I was to be afraid to make mistakes when I speak. My language skills definitely improved and now I have a new perspective on learning foreign languages. I became more confident in myself and the experience was incredibly valuable.

What was the best place you visited outside of your home-base city?

Laura: During the week travel period, the whole 21st century city program and those in the program in Beijing went to Yunnan province with our program directors. While we were there, we visited a city called Xishuangbanna. The name seems quite long, I know, but the city was quite beautiful. It's near the border with Myanmar so it was warm and the food had some more tropical influences.

During our trip, we rode bicycles through banana fields near an area with many temples. That's also the city where I experienced my first "dry wash" which is an intensive hair wash including a massage and styling after. It felt amazing. I loved the weather, food, and exploring we did there.

What country have you always wanted to visit?

I have always wanted to visit countries that have long traditions but with distinctive culture and lifestyle different from my home in China.

I am particularly interested in the EU countries, their histories, their vast and varying geography and demography, ongoing changes and complexities triggered by interactions of global and local forces, as well as the efforts by individual countries like Spain to reinvigorate itself in the new world economy.

Why is language learning and cultural immersion important to you?

Language skills and culture competence are critical in preparing students to successfully live and work in a globalized, fast changing and increasingly sophisticated world.

As professions and people become more mobile internationally, the language and culture expertise you acquire will set you apart. Moreover, building relationships of trust with locals requires not only vocabulary and grammar but also a broad understanding of the values, patterns and styles of communication used by differing groups of people.

Immersion gives students a chance to practice all of these as do interactions with language partners and living with a Chinese family.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

We are an intellectual community that cherishes diversity, openness, and sharing and mutual support. I am deeply impressed by the professionalism of my colleagues and their heartfelt caring for students.

Our team is inspired and united by the ideals and core values embedded in international education, the belief of positive impacts that study abroad experience on personal growth and development, and the passion for student services.

By working with my colleagues and students, I have learned to master the multi-facets of study abroad and understand the nuances of communication, to appreciate different perspectives more, and to focus on the positive side of things should issues and challenges arise.

What was your favorite traveling experience?

One of the most endearing involved watching students while at a Tibetan Buddhist temple speak with some very young Buddhist monks and share WeChat information with young monks.

Although neither the Tibetan Buddhist monks nor the Alliance students spoke much Mandarin, they used photos and stickers to communicate and share their experiences.

There was a lot of laughter and a lot of inter cultural learning that resulted from this largely non-linguistic interaction.

Describe a time when you felt especially proud to be part of the Alliance team.

I really enjoy hearing about Alliance students keeping close relationships with their Chinese roommates and Chinese friends after the program. One of my favorite stories is of two roommates who both went to the same graduate school in the USA and roomed together there as well.

I feel that this example demonstrates the success of the efforts we put into making connections possible through our program and increasing the possibility of a positive result through our selection and orientation process.

What does your home-country's culture value that is taught in your program?

Chinese tradition emphasizes collectivism, relationships, learning, mutual respect and harmony. These culture values are embodied in ordinary people’s daily lives and workplace, which our students experience first-hand when living with Chinese roommates or host families and when interning in local business offices.

In our orientation we introduce students to Chinese culture, and later on through their coursework they deepen their understanding of the dynamics of Chinese society and business practices in light of these long-standing traditions.

Beyond the classroom, our students are challenged to apply their knowledge to enhance their learning process and develop their cross-cultural communication skills in the international yet distinctively Chinese environment of Shanghai.