This summer, many students travelled to the corners of the Earth in order to learn, teach and help make the world a better place.
Youth English Teaching Program in Taiwan
Enthusiastic voices chimed in unison as Senior Jacqueline Wu inspired students in the rural areas of Taiwan to learn English. From July 6 to Aug 2, she trained for the task, taught English to students ranging from second to fifth grade and explored Taiwan and its culture with the Overseas Community Affairs Council.
The first week Wu was there, Taiwanese English teachers prepared Wu for her role as an instructor. The following two weeks, Wu taught at Hot Spring Elementary School in Taitung.
“The children were so lively and energetic,” Wu said. “I know that everyone in my group enjoyed interacting with them.”
To top it all off, she spent the last week touring Taiwan, travelling to places such as Kaohsiung, Taichung and Tainan as well as many night markets in neighboring cities.
“Everything about those two weeks was unforgettable—the independence of living with just my group, teaching at the school and the children,” Wu said. “It was the first time I’d travelled without my family and done something like that before and that took a lot of getting used to.”
Summer Academy in Applied Science and Technology
Quiet background chatter added to the serene atmosphere at the University of Pennsylvania as Senior Kevin Ou and Junior Christine Cai strolled to their next lecture. They attended the Summer Academy in Applied Science and Technology program from July 6 to 26, which specialized in Engineering.
“There are different courses that you select and Christine and I were in Biotechnology,” Ou said. “It’s a highly selective program that includes lectures, lab work, research and visits to biotech facilities.”
A typical day for Ou and Cai consisted of a morning lecture and some lab work with a lab report, followed by a meeting with some graduate students about cancer research. The weekends were reserved for entertaining and educational field trips to places such as Six Flags, the New Jersey beach and Morphotek, a medical research company.
Ou and Cai received research topics with an extensive study proposal. The two worked together to reach Ivy League standards and reported on using nanoparticles as a chemotherapeutic drug delivery system.
“I found everything really interesting and the lectures ranged from things like genetic engineering to mutations,” Cai said. “I learned so much.”
Mission Trip in Nicaragua
Peals of laughter bubbled throughout the villages of Nicaragua as Senior Sarah Wright and Junior Nathan Leong cared for the many living in poor conditions. Along with the Pasadena Nazarene Church, the students set out with a team of around 40 from June 24 to July 3 as a part of the church’s annual mission trip.
“The main purpose of the trip was to help out other Nazarene churches in the area,” Leong said. “The church in Masaya was always getting stuff stolen, so we helped them put up a wall.”
After separating into construction, Vacation Bible School and medical teams, Wright and Leong spent five days in Masaya building a ten foot wall, even through rain. In Cristo Rey, the team led a church service and then in Nuevo Horizonte, where they laid down tiles and installed metal windows for a local church. They also attended to the medical needs of many malnourished children.
“My favorite part was definitely the interactions with the kids in Nicaragua,” Wright said. “We would play street soccer in our spare time, and I felt fortunate to have gotten the chance to play it the way much of the world does— in the dirt, often barefoot, and with constant shouting in Spanish.”