Hometown: Beijing, China

A Perfect Choice
“Davidson wasn’t my first choice. Days before the application deadline, I received an e-mail from Davidson, thanking me for considering the school and saying, ‘I hope you can find the perfect college for you.’ It was an awesome e-mail. I thought, ‘This is exactly what I want.’”

A Change of Plans
Landed a summer job on campus, but tragedy struck back home. “I was going to work for ITS, but after hearing about the terrible earthquake in China, I decided to go home and try to do something about it.” Although he didn’t get a volunteer position because of the outpouring of help in Beijing, he says, “I really feel a great sense of community in China—each disaster brings everyone together.”

Summer Olympic 2008
Became an unofficial ambassador during the Summer Olympic Games. “Since I couldn’t stay for the whole Olympics, I couldn’t get an official volunteer position, but since I speak English, I made myself available to travelers. The best part was being able to exchange information with foreigners visiting China, to explain even a little about the cultural differences between the East and West.”

Team Mentality
Enjoys tutoring for the Math & Science Center and working as an AT for the Chinese Department because it gives him the chance to work in a team. “The biggest difference between American and Chinese culture is that America is very focused on individuality while China focuses on collectiveness. For me, it’s really great if I can help people form a team. When many individuals contribute a little bit to one team, it can be a great power. And I love to be the catalyst of the team.”

Martial Arts
Studied Kung Fu for seven years, and started a martial arts club on campus. “I want to focus on how martial arts reflect Chinese culture. America focuses a lot on fighting skills, but I would rather teach about the sets of movement involved, because, from learning all these kinds of positions, you can learn a lot about Chinese culture and philosophy. It’s a good form of exercise, too, and it has more of an emphasis on mental concentration.”