"We are capable of accomplishing a lot": On participating in the Student Leadership Experience in China program

Allie Shaw travelled to China in July 2019 as part of the Student Leadership Experience in China volunteer program.

After 25 days, five unique cities, three different classrooms, and many hours spent on flights, trains, buses and cars, our journey in China has come to an end.

Our trip started in Beijing where nine of us spent our first five days. In this time, we were able to explore the Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City and even celebrate the graduation of a Concord College of Sino-Canada (CCSC) Grade 12 class at the Great Hall of the People. Our group of nine then split into teams, and our team of three travelled to Wuhu for our first CCSC location. We spent a week at this location, teaching North American business concepts to 37 students. We also ran fun activities for them such as sports tournaments, movie nights and dance competitions.

During our stay in Wuhu, we toured some famous landmarks such as the Yangtze River and some less commonly known places like the Wuhu Sculpture Park. When the week ended, our team of three travelled to Shanghai on a high-speed train where we met up with the rest of the Laurier students. We spent the weekend there, admiring the breathtaking views of The Bund, the Huangpu River, Yu Yu garden, the Temple of God, and the cities’ unique mixture of European architecture and modern skyscrapers. We shopped on the famous Nanjing Road and tried some local restaurants and bubble tea. The weekend went quickly and before we knew it, we were back on a bullet train headed to our next location.

Our team arrived in Hefei, where we spent our last two weeks of the trip. We spent these weeks teaching two different classes and exploring everything that Hefei had to offer. We shopped at popular night markets, saw pandas at the zoo, took a small boat tour in the famous Town of Three Rivers, dipped our toes in fish tanks at the Sanhe Ancient Town, and tried many Anhui hot pot specials like pig brain and cow abdomen! When our two weeks in Hefei ended, we headed back to Shanghai and then to Hong Kong where we made our final departure for Toronto. Although it was sad to leave China, we were excited to come home to share our incredible stories...and eat some poutine!

We were surprised that this trip not only taught us leadership skills when working with students, but also among our peers. Living in close contact with three people for a month, all while being a part of a wealth of new experiences, gave us a unique bond that has travelled back to Canada with us. It has also taught us some mediation training! 

This trip taught us how to push ourselves and be resilient in situations that were so far from what we were accustomed to, whether it was in the case of being tired and wanting to rest in the dormitory, but instead pushing ourselves to get outside and explore. Or in the classroom when students didn’t listen, and we had to be patient and try our best to encourage them to participate. Or at the cafeteria when our only option was to eat Chinese food even though it was the last thing we wanted. In these moments, we were reminded that situations are only temporary, and we are capable of accomplishing a lot when we keep an open mind and a positive attitude.

Our time in China has had a huge impact on us and it has taught us numerous lessons that we will carry with us during our time at university and even after graduation. We encourage others to push themselves outside of their comfort zone as well and partake in enriching experiences like this. Our trip was filled with uncertainty and unfamiliarity, but together with amazing people, we created so many memories that will last a lifetime.