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Lin, Eric (林揚軒)
When I first signed up for this program, I thought teaching the kids was a easy task and that I could just have them read a short story and translate the story. Since I thought my job was to just translate the vocabulary that the students have difficulty on, so I didn’t really think of a actual teaching plan. The first day of teaching we have our student take a placement test to test their English level. This is when reality hits me and I came to a realization that the student are nothing like what I had expected previously and that I have to make lesson plans in order to help my student. Honestly, teaching is a tiring job, there is always some kids in the class that distract/ disrupt other students learning, not to mention the teaching plans we had to make when we got home. Through this program, I now understand the difficulty of make teaching schedule and rules to apply it in the classroom. Not all students have the same knowledge of English, some student’s english level are far more advanced than others. It takes lots of time and patience to help the students that are falling behind everyone else. By incorporate English into games and activities, students will learn English more effectively and be more inclined to participate. Overall, the two weeks of teaching was a amazing experience for me because I get to learn how to teach little kids and to know all kinds of different people. It is completely different relationship from those people I normally meet in school because in school I could only get to know them from a surface level. When I lived together with my group, I get to understand my group so much more through their attitude and behaviors on a daily basis. Although the house we lived in is not in it’s best condition, I am thankful for all the wonderful memories we had in this house. I will miss having the late night talks on first floor, watching horror movies in midnight, watching the girls get scared by mouses and cockroaches, escorting the girls to get food downstairs. I never expected to become so close to people I met only a month ago and yet not being able to live with them and see them anymore has been such a heartbroken feeling, as if I have lost my family members. Everyday was interesting, memorable, and enjoyable, all the fun times and memories that were created here will stay with me forever. Being an AID volunteer has been truly life changing and I will never forget this wonderful experience.
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Tung, Ryan (童尚輝)
I believe that the Aid summer program has been one of the best programs I have experienced. The volunteers were all very kind to me and I felt close to many of them. The counselors were also not only sociable, but also nice. The different locations that I have visited were not only beautiful, but educational and exciting. I have improved my students and learned more about myself. Teaching the students has been such as great experience and I hope that I can experience this in the future. Overall, the program has been very fun. From visiting the movies to the rice fields, I learned a lot.
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Vongsachang, Hurlink (張和麟)
Overall, these past four weeks have been a very fast-paced and exciting experience, and every day always leaves me exhausted but eager for the next day. When I first came to Taiwan at Chien Tan, I was really nervous and shy because there were so many people who I did not know, especially since I did not really use social media to communicate with my other fellow AID volunteers. The first night was especially helpful for me because I was able to meet and get to know my fellow roommates who also happened to be my fellow volunteers at the school I was assigned. I also think that the first week was really helpful for me because I had time to prepare for and work out my lesson plans at my school with a partner. The presentations during the classes were a bit long and boring since none of the teachers really knew how to speak English and a lot of the teaching methods that they taught us had seemed like common sense. While planning for each lesson was a good exercise for those who do not know how to teach children, I feel that a lot of the work put into the first week had gone to naught because we have no idea how capable our students will be until we actually start teaching them. In my two weeks at He Ping Elementary, I generally had a great time. My students were the least capable of the bunch, so I also got to practice my Chinese whenever it was needed in the classroom. My students tended to be very rowdy, so every day left me exhausted. However, I was able to bond with my co teacher and the other teacher volunteers which became my source of relaxation and reprieve. Our school's staff and parents were extremely nice and treated us to a lot of different places, like Taipei 101 and the Taipei Zoo. My two weeks at He Ping were fantastic. The tour was also not bad. I got to explore a lot of different practical or aesthetic places while catching up with the friends I made on the first week. The only complaint I have about the tour is the mandatory talent show. In my opinion, a talent show should be an optional event where people can choose to show off their talents and skills; forcing everyone to do something defeats the entertaining purpose of the talent show. All in all, my experience in Taiwan was amazing. Although there were screaming kids and extreme weather, the friends I made, sights I've seen, and experience I've gained made it all worthwhile.
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Yang, Bryan (楊士潔)
AID Summer was a very novel experience for me. It was the first time I traveled alone, particularly into a foreign country. Moreover, it was my first time teaching students who did not speak fluent English. At Chientan, I made connections with the others in my group, becoming fast friends while bonding over how dull and sleep-inducing some of those lectures could be. After that, during the teaching period, I experienced even more than I already had. I met and got to know a bunch of energetic children attending Guangfu Elementary in the Qigu District, teaching them English and growing even closer with the team. It was a very fun and educational experience, as I realized how I am not exactly suited for teaching (I did my best). Now, during the tour (at the time of this writing), though my busmates and I occasionally vociferate about the sexism present in lodging affairs and protest the dining chants, I still enjoy it all very much. Meeting and getting to know even more people, seeing new places and experiencing different things, the tour is an incredibly fun event, worth the effort. All in all, AID Summer is an excellent program, though I still have a few minor misgivings about it.
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Schmidt, Katelyn (俞蘭愷)
After eleven years of chinese school, I was so excited to be able to put all my hard work to the ultimate test: living in Taiwan. I heard about the AID Summer program from some family friends and they all had such great stories to tell, I couldn’t wait for my turn to go. I remember taking my first steps into Chien Tan and being greeted by all the friendly faces of the counselors. I was so nervous to meet my group, but after eating dinner with them it was obvious that we would all become fast friends. The training at Chien Tan was exhausting but all well worth when it came to preparing lesson plans for the upcoming two weeks. We were trained to become proficient in silencing classrooms and coming up with fun games for students. After one quick week, it was time to pack up everything we had learned and leave Chien Tan behind to head off to our schools. WenChang Elementary was so amazing when we got there; they had a school rabbit! Our coach told us that if we ever got stressed we could go to QQ the rabbit and pet him to unwind. We all met our host families the day we arrived in YunLin. My host family was so friendly and kind to us and we grew so close over the two weeks we lived with them. I will forever cherish all the late night eating and chatting we did together; it really felt like we were one big happy family. When it came to teaching the kids, making lesson plans was quite difficult, keeping us up late into the night, but it was so incredibly rewarding to hear the kids using the vocabulary we learned during class. Being a teacher gave me a whole new perspective of school and I have so much respect for teachers knowing all that they do for their students. Two weeks flew by and leaving our school behind was the most difficult thing of all. It definitely involved a lot of crying, especially when it came to saying goodbye to our host families. However, as touring began, the tears turned to laughs. I can confidently say that everyone had so much fun during the Taiwan tour. I loved being immersed in the culture and learning about the aboriginal people of the island. My favorite part of touring was the night markets and all of the delicious Taiwanese foods we ate there. One month went by much faster than I wanted it to and I was so sad to leave Taiwan and all of the wonderful people I had met. This summer is by far the best summer of my life, having learned so much, grown as a person, and made lifelong friendships. I am so grateful to have been able to participate in such an amazing program and have all of these invaluable experiences. The memories I made during AID Summer will truly stay with me forever.
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Chiang, Austin (江誠祥)
One of the greatest experiences of my life AID summer helped me realize just how little of the world I've seen and how I need to connect with Taiwanese culture. Stationed at 大武國中 it was an intense culture shock to be living in a rural village of which around 80% were paiwanese aboriginals. Their culture inspired me and while teaching the kids I also learned a lot of paiwanese from the children! Speaking of the children they were all so energetic and amazing throughout the two weeks and with the help of the principal, the military helper stationed there (Peter), and our assistant teacher May it was a great success in general! We didn't use much of the AID training teachings but they were right in the fact that we had to change our lesson plans dramatically each day but once we got there it was fine. The classes were taught by inspiration and once we got a groove it became a set schedule of PowerPoint, game, review, game, and so on for the two weeks. Furthermore, by being together for 3 weeks I feel like I really bonded with my group mates and we each have learned a lot more about our Taiwanese roots. I wish it could last longer (though the tour drained me) but I feel that it was overall a wonderful experience one I will never forget!
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Wu, Vincent (吳甲元)
AID has been one of the best programs I have attended. The kids are amazing and I got to meet many amazing people, both during training week and during the teaching period. I have learned many things about Taiwanese culture and the education system here, and I am confident that I can transfer many of the skills I learned to my future experiences as an aspiring educator. I have learned some Taiwanese and have also learned that little kids are very easy to play with, but very hard to teach. Some of the things that I wish were improved about this program are:
1. The food. Some of the food that was provided was ok, but mostly I am sick of Asian food and I always dreaded eating
2. More freedom during tour week.
During tour week, I wish that when we went anywhere that we didn't have to follow our counselors or a tour guide everywhere. When we went to the aquarium, I got "lost" and it was so fun when we all got to go around the aquarium on our own.
3. Later bed checks.
Most of the time, people do not need that much sleep, and we would like a little more time to socialize with our friends that we meet here. Even if people would like to sleep, they have the option to sleep before the bed check.
Other than the above, this was a very enjoyable program, even if the mosquitoes enjoyed my pain and my blood more than others, and sometimes we had problems at the schools.
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Chao, Brian (趙蔚)
As I panicked over my summer plans, my family suggested that I should join AidSummer. I hurriedly applied and got accepted, but didn’t know what to expect. Where will I be? What challenges will I have to face? Admittedly, I was quite worried about the idea of teaching in a remote area with people I’ve never met before. To the contrary, not only did I become a better communicator, but I also formed lasting bonds with the children! From having to meet deadlines for reflections to preparing teaching materials to managing the classroom, the challenges I faced shaped me into a better problem solver. One of AidSummer’s main objectives is to provoke students’ interest in learning English and make them more linguistically competent. I am proud to have been part of that teaching process and use my skills to help others. Other than the teaching experience, this program also expanded my worldview by having me interact with many like-minded peers and tour around Taiwan. Thanks so much to AidSummer for providing such a valuable experience! Shout out to the pink-shirts for being so welcoming and caring toward the student volunteers. Through this program, I have definitely been inspired to use my knowledge to help others in the future.
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Lim, Quincy (林於澤)
I am so fortunate to be a part of AID this summer. It has been a wonderful experience getting to know people from all over the world as well as picking up valuable experiences by teaching children. I was lucky enough to be put into a group of the coolest, most passionate, and talented people I have ever met. We became very close very fast and we worked together amazingly as a group. We were also very fortunate for having such a wonderful coach and Taiwan-dad, Steve. He took care of us like we were his own children by doing everything that he could to make our time in Pingtung as authentic as possible. I am also thankful for the host family that allowed us to live in their church throughout our two weeks in Ligang. They bought us everything that we needed for the two weeks and they supported us whenever they could. They provided us a unique experience of living in a big church together. Each cockroach and spider we screamed at helped us grow closer as a group. The teaching experience at the school was unforgettable also. Even though the students didn’t participate in class and communicating with them was frustrating at first (nobody in the class brought anything for show and tell) we still loved them and they were a pleasure to have in class. They taught me many valuable skills that I can bring into my future classroom as a school teacher. It has truly been an unforgettable experience and I am so happy to be a part of it.
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Tsau, Claire (曹鈞筑)
Upon arriving at the training camp for this program, I began to regret signing up for AID Summer. I heard from friends that it was a fun experience, but all I witnessed in that first week was poor internet connection, annoying rules and regulations, boring lectures, and lessons plans that seemed bound for failure.
From my experience that week, I was certain that I would be lonely and homesick for the next few weeks. Wi-fi was a difficulty so I couldn't connect with family and friends, and my new team B1-7 were still strangers who I could barely start a conversation with. However, I was wrong. In the last two weeks, I greatly enjoyed working with the seven other B1-7 girls, and our coach Cloudia, and the staff at Houbi Elementary. With time I realized that we have much in common, and their company made loneliness impossible. We are all ridiculously scared bugs and critters, have a love for rap and pop music, and we all (including Teacher Cloudia) enjoy watching Rupaul's Drag Race on Netflix. Everyday, I see new sides to my new friends, and I came to trust and love these odd people.
Because my parents are from Taiwan and I often visit relatives here, I was not so nervous about growing accustomed to the culture. I had a general idea of what foods are good, how to use a squatting toilet, and what to expect from the weather. What I was afraid of was the kids and their elementary school culture. From my experience teaching kung fu in Chinese school, I know kids to be rowdy, annoying, and very difficult to control. Neither my teaching partner nor I prepared candy or toys as prizes for the kids, and seeing that most other teachers did, I was nervous about how I would motivate elementary schoolers. It turns out, that the students in my class were better behaved than I thought. They were mostly 12 year old girls and were very quiet in class. In fact, they were TOO quiet and I had some difficulty keeping the energy up in class. However, by playing games and reaching out to them during breaks and lunchtimes, the kids warmed up to us and became more vocal. I find this change to be one of my greatest accomplishments during this trip and is one of the things that make this program so worth the time and effort.
The last few weeks had been an unique and learning experience. Though I was doubtful at first, I know now that this trip is not one that I would regret joining. Teaching the kids had been a roller coaster ride with many ups and downs. It was definitely not an easy task and often left me exhausted, but the children's smiles and the feelings accomplishment are worth every bit of effort put in. The dreadful training camp was just the beginning to an incredible and unforgettable adventure.
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Chen, Ethan (陳膺任)
My time at AID Summer has been an illuminating experience. I got the chance to meet many like minded people, other Taiwanese Americans, and friendly counselors. During the training process, I found the seminars tiring and often times unnecessary. However, I appreciate the effort made to train such a large number of students. I met many people during this time, and was given the opportunity to share my ideas and experiences with hundreds of other students.
During the teaching tour, I got along with my team members extremely well. We clicked as though we had known each other for many years. I found myself in a state of comfort and freedom to speak my mind. The teachers and hosts who accompanied us on the tour were also extremely helpful, caring, and accommodating. They would often take us out and provide us with gross amounts of food. I felt disgustingly content at the end of each long day of nonstop eating. The students at the school I was assigned to were extremely kind and happy to see us each day. I enjoyed each and every day I spent with them.
After the teaching tour, I was taken on a tour around Central Taiwan. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the activities and excursions organized by the program, the sheer amount of students made the program extremely hard to handle, especially for the counselors. They were constantly carrying out orders, and activities and excursions took an unnecessary amount of time to complete. However, I am impressed by the amount of work put into organizing this many students.
In the future, I would recommend either accepting a smaller group of students, or accepting more counselors. I am so grateful for this experience, and hope it will improve and continue to provide in the years to come.
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Chen, Stephen (陳昕)
The two weeks of teaching at my assigned school was really an enjoyable experience. I had to learn to deal with and cope with naughty kids who at first seemed to have zero interest in English. However after bonding and getting to know the kids better, it helped me know how to teach them better and that really helped with my teaching. After the first week, the kids seemed more interested and motivated to learn English and that really made me happy that I was helping someone learn something useful in their lives
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Wang, James (王必椽)
I had originally planned for my trip to Taiwan to be a smooth ride - I would arrive, teach English, make lifelong friends, enrich my students' lives, and head out with the satisfaction that I had succeeded in empowering young, bright students in their future endeavours. Given my successful experiences in high school, I considered teaching English to be a piece of cake. However, my experiences at Ba Li Elementary school proved me wrong from the moment I stepped my classroom for the first time. However, I found myself thankful for the challenges it presented me, for it led to my greater personal growth.
Being the slow, stumbling Mandarin speaker I was, I had anticipated difficulties with the students in communication. However, arriving at Taoyuan, I discovered that I was at odds not only with the students, but also my fellow teachers. Although all of us had come from different environments, my personality made it especially hard for me to connect with them and work together. Even during our preparation for our opening ceremony, I couldn't comprehend their heat-of-the-moment attitude. They marveled at my insistence on preparation and perfection. During the first week, my teaching partner and I butted heads on almost every activity and teaching strategy I implemented. My experiences with my students were just as difficult. Most of the children looked like they'd like to be anywhere but at a desk, and there were a few troublemakers that would disrupt class so periodically, it seemed like clockwork.
By the end of the third day, I found myself filled with bitterness and disappointment. The teaching activities I had spent sleepless nights perfecting were smashed to pieces. Neither my students nor my teachers would recognize the effort I put in. I was ready to call it quits, but I decided that night that I would try a few of the teaching strategies my neighboring classes had used - a more relaxed style.
I found that being less structured in my teaching style had a positive effect on my students. Without a definite method to teach my students vocabulary and sentences, I had more opportunity for my second-grade sense of humor and love for teaching to shine through. The students were more lively and willing to learn, and I my troublemakers turned into star students overnight. I was able to understand and get along better with students and teachers alike, despite the many linguistic and cultural barriers that we faced.
An especially memorable moment was when we attempted to make ice cream from scratch. Despite our best efforts to beat the summer heat, every single batch we made flopped. Originally, I would have considered the entire excersise a disappointment, but sharing in the students' laughter with every exhibition of ice cream soup made me realize the value in the small moments - not only in Taiwan, but also of my life in California. With each moment of hilarity, I felt myself loving my students more and more.
By the end of the two weeks, I was surprised to find that in addition to teaching the students, I had also learned a thing or two from them. Not only did I learn about the rich culture and stunning landscapes of my heritage, but I also rediscovered the playfulness and carefree nature I had as a child. I learned of the importance a simple laugh held in friendship, and how to play hard while working hard. When the students ran up to me to give me a heartfelt hug on the last day, I knew that I had succeeded in impacting their lives as much as they had mine.
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Tekadtuera, Angeline (林玉)
American Environmental History
WR 100—Fall 2016
Prospective Essay
The Writing Program uses a portfolio approach to writing. At the end of our course, you will submit a final portfolio consisting of the essays and other reflective work that you create during the semester.
As part of that eventual portfolio, the first writing I’d like you to do is a “prospective” self-assessment, and I’d like you to email that to me NO LATER THAN 6:00 PM, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1. Please email it to tfitts@bu.edu You definitely may send me the essay much earlier than this deadline! In fact, I really hope you will do that!
Please write 2-3 pages (at least 500-750 words) about any goals you have for our course, what your experience was in past classes that asked you to write, and what challenges and strengths you bring to our course. What I am looking for is a thoughtful self-assessment that makes an ARGUMENT and is not just a series of random reflections. Then I would also like you to paste in and then to comment on a small part of a recent piece of writing (for most of you, that will be from a high school course.) Please paste in the opening paragraph and/or the place where you establish what your paper is going to claim. (An example might be the beginning to a research paper in U.S. History.) It would be helpful if you chose a paper that was, in the words of the BU Writing Program Director, “a source-based academic argument.” What are your thoughts on and reactions now to this writing that you did sometime in the past year or so? (The parts of your earlier writing that you paste in do not count toward the word count requirement of this essay. What I’m really saying is that I particularly want to hear the reflections you have about yourself.)
There is (obviously) no “right” answer here. I want to learn about you, who you are and how you write, and what is important to you! So here’s my one piece of advice: take a healthy risk, tell me what is REAL for you, and don’t write stuff that will be flat or artificial or contrived. Make an ARGUMENT, state something you CLAIM and then EXPLORE. You will be able, by the way, to include this prospective essay in your final portfolio, so some of the work of that portfolio will be done before classes even begin.
Please LABEL your uploaded essay precisely this way: your LAST NAME, your FIRST NAME, PROSPECTIVE ESSAY (e.g., Fitts, Ted, Prospective Essay). Use your last name, first name, Prospective Essay in the subject line of your email.
Please submit the essay as a Word document, and include a word count after your final line. Please use WORD, and do not submit your essays in PAGES!
I will look forward to reading your essay and to meeting you. You do not have to wait for the last minute to send the essay, and I’d actually be happy to start reading them sometime soon! (I will be out of touch in San Francisco Aug. 4-Aug. 9.) But it must be in no later than the deadline above. See you soon! Enjoy the rest of summer!
Ted Fitts
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Hsieh, Jocelyn (謝禎琳)
This month of being in the AID program was a new and different experience for me. I did not expect it to be so fun and action-packed. The two weeks of teaching is something I will never forget. The seven students I had (second and third graders) were all different in their own way and had such unique personalities. They were all willing to participate and so eager to learn different vocabulary and English in general. Although the students were very enthusiastic, there were some times when they would be disrespectful to the teachers and pick fights with the other students. Those situations were good for us student volunteers to practice the kind of manner we should have.
I thought the first week of training was not as useful as it could have been. My group did not spend much time planning specifically for the lessons but a more general outline. The general outline was not very helpful to the teaching plan since the teaching consists so much of the little parts and sections. The two weeks of teaching went by very smoothly and quickly and it was better than I could imagine it to be like.
The last week, which was tour, was also very fun and all the destinations that they brought us to was unique in its own way and enjoyable to explore.
I am glad I was able to participate in this program and make so many unforgettable memories.
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Qi, Daniel (戚睿涵)
The two teaching weeks were pretty uneventful due to mostly being stuck at the school. However, the kids definitely made the two weeks interesting to say the least. The first few days were a bit hectic due to adjusting to not only a new environment but also getting to know and understanding the kids. In addition, the kids had very different English levels with some already attending cram school, and thus were a lot more advanced, and some who only knew the alphabet. It was quite difficult at first deciding and planning what my partner and I were going to teach the kids but after the first few days we discovered it was a lot easier to just go with the flow. Many times we would end up either coming up with ideas, leasons, or games on the spot in order to get the kids to practice their English and comprehension more. The school on the other hand was a little less well off. While the showers were manageable the sleeping bags that were given to us were very thin and combined with a hard wood floor made for a very poor nights rest. Furthermore the wifi went out frequently and thus made it difficult to prepare for the next day's lesson. The one good thing was the AC which definitely kept the room cool at night. Overall it was a great experience being able to practice my Chinese and connect with the kids just seeing the amount of growth of bonds and English skills throughout the two weeks.
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Chang, Linnet (張雅書)
Guangfu Elementary not only nurtures the minds of the future, but also nurtured the growth of eight Taiwanese-Americans through their exploration of the true merits to being a teacher. From the beginning of the camp, the eight 17-year olds began as strangers, trying to test through the waters of uncertainty as they began to figure out their friendships and lesson plans. The long, laborious hours soon transformed, like butterflies, into something new. The group began to solidify and foster a growing family, and what initially was a jumble of incoherent diagrams and half-hearted lesson plans soon meshed together into something better. During the last few nights at Chientan, the group dedicated hours into planning activities that would interest the kids, but in reality, much of it was idealistic: we really were not able to get a sense of what the children's English level was at until we had reached the school campus.
The school was truly beautiful. It was my first true experience being in a rural area and I was awestruck by the beauty. Though it was a little scary at first -- finding two birds flying about in our room the first night at Guangfu -- I really grew to appreciate the beauty of nature and how it juxtaposed the smooth architecture of the school. The students were very sweet. Although at times rambunctious, I enjoyed their energy and their ability to assess when it was appropriate to act so. They were respectful and willing to learn, as long as the material was presented in an engaging manner. The first teaching day was the hardest; we had to learn to adapt rapidly to the children's attention spans. With the help of the university aids, we were able to incorporate more images and visuals into our lessons in order to help children make the instant image-to-word association. Though progress slowed as the words grew more difficult, I am very proud of them for retaining most of the vocabulary from Week 1. But what I am most elated about was their ability to improve dramatically on their test scores as the days went by.
From this I was able to learn valuable traits that would improve my character, such as patience, equality, endurance, and compassion. In dealing with the children, flexibility was required to keep up with the constantly in flux plans -- sometimes, the activity we planned so intricately had to be scrapped in order to preserve their interest levels and abilities. I was able to get over my anxiety with public speaking. The children taught me that as long as you command respect, respect will be given to you. All these qualities I will continue to carry over into my next few years as a student to not only improve my own learning, but to learn to respect the teachers for all their hard work and their tireless energy. It is not easy being a teacher: having to adapt to students in group and individual settings, having to tailor everything to the last detail to progress the material while not boring the students, having to start each day with long hours of work and a bright smile. For me, the trip was not a lesson on how to teach English, but rather a lesson on how to become a better person and how to be independent. I know the next time I visit Taiwan, I will be sure to revisit Guangfu Elementary, for I will forever be indebted for all it has taught me and the family I have grown to love.
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Huang, Allan (黃彥倫)
Taiwan is beautiful. I knew this before, but only superficially in that the scenery was beautiful to my eyes and the food was beautiful to my taste buds. These past four weeks in Taiwan have given me some of the best memories of my life. I’ve been able to make so many new friends who share my passion of Taiwanese culture, teach English in remote areas to remarkably bright kids, and visit breathtaking (and very hot) landmarks and attractions.
Specifically, teaching at Dalin Elementary School was a valuable experience. I am glad that, with my teaching partner, I was able to open up the eyes of many students to the fun facets of learning English. Being able to live, eat, and sleep in the same neighborhood as all of my students really let me understand life in rural Taiwan. The lack of AC in our dorms especially made me appreciate my living conditions in America. As the students’ big brother and teacher, I realized the difficulty teachers face on a daily basis, including misbehaviors and lack of patience. Regardless of their ridiculous antics, I will sorely miss the little rascals, and I hope that I will have the chance to visit them in the future.
Thanks to the AID program coordinators, staff, and everyone else at Chien Tan and Dalin who made everything possible. Ten out of ten. Gold star. High five. Fist bump. Bear hug. Thank you for making my senior summer the best that it could have possibly been. Thank you for connecting me with so many incredible counselors and fellow teachers. Thank you for showing me the true beauty of Taiwan. Thank you for the food and lodging and transportation and everything in between. Thank you.
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