Organization: Shantou University

After Typhoon Pearl struck southern China last year, Jimi found a way to make the best of the situation.  Amid the devastation of the night before, he and his friends started catching all of the fish that were escaping the nearby lake as it overflowed into the streets.  Even though the typhoon had the power to destroy, it also made the air clean and brought opportunities for growth and fun.

Through this story, Lucky shares his process of resenting the pressures that his parents put on him in high school to do well academically, leaving his home to get away from that pressure, and then realizing his strong desire to make his mother proud of everything that he has accomplished during his successful college career.

There are a lot of great things about college life, but the food isn't really one of them. Wanda remembers her grandmother's cooking and tells the story of how the Chinese tradition of preparing family meals has been passed down from her grandmother to her mother and 8 aunts and continues on through her.

Born and raised on a fishing boat in China, Cybele tells the story of what it was like to live and study on the land, overcome obstacles of a new language, new independence and finally come full circle to an internship in Hong Kong near the sea.

Sometimes lessons come at the most unexpected times.  Through this story, Robyn reflects upon what she hoped to learn and what she ultimately gained from her experience as an English teacher in China.  

As a pre-mature baby girl in China, Shooin was not expected to survive. After being sent away to be raised by her grandparents on their farm, however, she reflects on her experience of growing into a healthy, strong, independent young woman.