When Charissa received the appointment to Taiwan, nervousness emerged after excitement and surprise, but she defeated it with hope.
“I don’t want to avoid something just because I’m nervous or scared,” she said, “The opportunity and the experiences definitely outweigh any fear I have.”
In her last week of ESL placement at a local high school, Charissa helped students learn English while they talk about insects. Monday’s lesson ended with learning how bees hurt and help humans, acknowledging that while “bees have a poisonous sting,” they also “make honey.
For Charissa, Taiwan means feeling the sting of the unfamiliar, vulnerability and lost proximity with the dearest people in her life, but she will also taste the sweetness of an adventure she has longed for since leaving China and coming to school.
“I’ve made really strong friendships here and I’m really thankful for Northwestern—I feel prepared, like I am ready to teach.”
