Carly O’Connell ’15 Senior Profile: Chinese Studies

Studying Chinese in the W&M MLL department gave me confidence. My teachers prepared me well for studying and living abroad in China, and my semester of immersion study in Beijing proved it. Within my first week there, I could navigate the subway, ask for directions when lost, and avoid social faux pas among my Chinese friends. The vocabulary, work ethic, study techniques, and cultural information that my Chinese teachers provided me with allowed me to hit the ground running on my first extended stay in China. Knowing that I have gained the skills to be successful in a city on the other side of the world has made me feel like I can do truly anything. When I return there to teach English this fall, I will again be grateful to my Chinese teachers whose praise and reproach remind me that I should be proud of my ability to speak Chinese and make use of it, but that there is always room for improvement.