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Study abroad program in China connects student to her past and future

Double major Jessica Ho is preparing for a career in information technology overseas

Jessica

While growing up in Houston, Jessica Ho only got the chance once to visit her family’s ancestral home in China. But she was so young when she and her family traveled to China, she recalls very little about the trip.

This summer, she will make new memories while studying abroad in a program led by the Chinese Studies faculty in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages.

"A lot of information technology work is done oversees in Asia," said Ho who is double majoring in Chinese Studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and Computer Information Systems in the College of Technology. 

"Eventually I want to work abroad, so I think that a second degree in Chinese Studies will give me more career opportunities."

Every other year, CLASS faculty lead students on a trip to China where they study at host university Beijing Qingnian Zhengzhi Xueyuan (BJYPC), in Beijing. This year, the group will depart for China on July 8 and return to Houston on August 10.

During their time overseas, students take courses in Chinese language, Integrated Chinese, Chinese Culture through Films, and Chinese Culture and Society thru Modern Literature. All of the work counts toward completion of the Chinese Studies major and minor.

On weekends, CLASS faculty escort the students on sightseeing tours of famous attractions, including the Great Wall of China, museums, historical parks, and culture centers.

“I’m most looking forward to seeing the Forbidden City,” Ho said. “The architecture and cultural history there should be fascinating.”

But before she packs her bags, Ho is spending the month of June brushing up on her Chinese language skills.

“They speak much faster there, so that makes me a bit nervous,” said Ho.

But she will soon strengthen her fluency with the full-immersion experience of living on the Beijing university campus and mingling with fellow students.

“The professors have already instructed us about how to get our visas, what to pack, and have been available to answer any questions as we prepare for the trip,” Ho said.

She worked to cover the $1,600 fee for the study-abroad course, saving up little by little from the time she first heard about the program in 2010.

Ho is on track to graduate in Summer 2015. Her plan is to come back from her Summer 2014 summer abroad with contacts willing to help her build a future career. She’s encouraged that that can happen since past participants found jobs while living in China for the summer abroad program.

 “I really hope that this experience gives me more knowledge of Chinese culture,” Ho said, “and, ultimately, opens doors for me to have a future career in the country.”

- By Monica Byars