HOUSTON (August 2, 2018) – Lone Star College students will experience the trip of a lifetime when they travel to China this summer, thanks to the generous support of U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Lone Star College Partnership for the China-United States Exchange Foundation.
The partnership is designed to send delegations of students each year to China to foster better relationships and understanding among the two nations.
This year’s 15-student delegation will visit China from Aug. 5-16 and travel to Beijing, Hangzhou Wanxiang Polytechnic University, and Shanghai to learn about China’s culture, economics, and educational opportunities. They will tour some of China’s most famous historical sites, such as the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City.
Students will also experience workshops on Chinese martial arts, calligraphy and painting, language, and culinary arts. Rounding out the two-week trip will be seminars on China’s economic development, language, and the teachings of noted Chinese philosophers such as Confucius, Laozi, and Sunzi.
Congresswoman Jackson Lee is an ardent supporter of the program and has sponsored the Lone Star College delegation since the program’s inception five years ago. She met with students and their families July for the final orientation meeting to offer her congratulations and encouragement.
“I know the most important job I have is encouraging and supporting the young people in my district,” Jackson Lee shared in a letter supporting this year’s delegation. “I support policies and organizations that ensure equal access for all students. I know that Lone Star College study abroad program also understands the importance of equity and ensuring that all students get the best educational opportunities. Their track record demonstrates that they put these beliefs into action.”
Former student and program alumni Uchechi Etumnu found the program to be memorable as well as educational.
“There were so many memorable experiences,” she said. “One of the most memorable parts was being able to share their culture and mine. The whole purpose of the trip was to engage with their culture and share our own, and I really enjoyed that part.”
Etumnu suggested that this year’s delegation should be prepared for a life-changing experience.
“I was very open to having new experiences, so it’s important to be open, to get out of your comfort zone so you will have an experience that will change your life for the better,” she said. “I met people I still am in touch with today, and I hope to visit again someday.”
To be selected for the program, students must reside in Texas’ 18th Congressional District and be outstanding students and leaders in the Lone Star College Honors College. The Honors College’s mission is to enhance existing programs and to reaffirm Lone Star College’s commitment to excellence by identifying, recruiting, and challenging motivated students, providing enrichment and flexibility to develop full student potential, and to offer faculty the opportunity for renewal and innovation.
The China-United States Exchange Foundation is an independent, non-profit and non-governmental foundation committed to the belief that a positive and peaceful relationship between the strongest developed nation and the most populous, fast-developing nation is essential for global wellbeing. Founded in Hong Kong in 2008 and privately funded, the program builds platforms to encourage constructive dialogue and diverse exchanges between the people of the U.S. and China.
Lone Star College offers high-quality, low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 99,000 students each semester. LSC is training tomorrow’s workforce today and redefining the community college experience to support student success. Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., serves as chancellor of LSC, the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area with an annual economic impact of nearly $3 billion. LSC consists of six colleges, eight centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College and LSC-Online. To learn more, visit LoneStar.edu.
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