By: Kirsten Williams
Yi-Ting Lien, who goes by “Tina,” sits comfortably in the Mills International Center at the University of Oregon. She is confident and outgoing, speaking broken conversational English with her friends from multiple countries. When she’s home in Taiwan she speaks Mandarin or Taiwanese. Currently, Tina is a senior French major minoring in business and multicultural media as well as earning an International Business Communication certificate. At “the Mills” she tutors international students and when they encounter cultural barriers she offers guidance.
Tina held a similar position when attending a junior college in Kaohsiung city in Taiwan. She worked for the Office of International Affairs just so that she may gain work experience. She supported international students studying abroad with language barriers and culture shock. Seeing the international students’ experiences inspired her, she says, “It kind of opened my mind and I always wanted to explore the world. America seemed like a good place to start.”
Her enthusiasm for studying abroad curbed upon her arrival when she encountered large cultural differences. Her newfound independence was her largest challenge; she had to learn to be self-motivated in her education. Tina describes her education in Taiwan as structured and less voluntary than her American college classes. Her written work required a business format and she would stay up all night to write one essay. With the encouragement of her American friends, she saw a business-writing tutor who introduced her to the Mills program. She accredits this program for giving her both the confidence and literacy skills she needs to stay in the U.S. after completing her undergraduate work.
Tina plans to graduate in spring and start an entry-level job on the East coast. While she misses her family, she cannot ignore the opportunities that she has here. She also says that she will always recommend studying abroad to anyone who asks. Having gained independence, she can now travel the world as planned with the skills needed to go forth with confidence.