As we work daily to create cultural opportunities for all persons, we know that it is best received in the words of our teachers with boots on the ground. We hope that you find this series enlightening and that you have an inclination to follow their experiences on our social media and be able to reach out to them with words of encouragement, questions that you may have about experiencing this for yourself and your friends, and/or a kind digital high five to for their achievements. As always, LinkedtoAsia is recruiting and keeping opportunities available for those that want to experience the world in a culturally magnificent way!
I joined LinkedToAsia because I wanted to do something worthwhile and impactful during my gap year.
Jada Thompson, LinkedtoAsia Teacher 2019 Cohort
My name is Jada Thompson. I’m a 23-year-old college graduate from El Campo, Texas. I graduated from Houston Baptist University with a bachelor’s in Psychology in May 2019. Some of my hobbies include reading, watching anime, and playing instruments. I am currently teaching myself the bass guitar as well as learning the zhēng, a Chinese plucked string instrument.
I do not have any prior experience as an ESL/EFL teacher. The only experience I have teaching is through tutoring and working at daycares/learning centers. With my psychology and teaching background, I want to work with groups in early childhood up to young adulthood who live in underserved populations. My goal is to combat the health disparities within their communities by making sure these specific groups are equipped with updated and essential health information and tools.
I joined LinkedToAsia because I wanted to do something worthwhile and impactful during my gap year. I always wanted to learn more about different cultures and languages, but I did not know how I would do it. Luckily, this opportunity came at the right time and offered me more than I expected.
The teachers are very helpful, welcoming and eager to teach me their local dialect as well as learn more about my culture. I even joined some sports clubs and calligraphy with the teachers.
My school is awesome! The students are very intrigued by my lessons and are happy to have me in class. They enjoy playing the various games that I use to review lessons as well as learning about American culture.
Longquan is considered a small city but offers many opportunities to explore. The city is known for its celadon and sword making, so there are many beautiful ceramics and dishes all around the city.
The food here is spicy, but if you are like me and have a palate for spicy foods, then it will be mild. I am an ambivert, so somedays I climb one of Longquan’s mountains or go on weekend trips with other teachers from school.
Other times, I go to a café to read or study Mandarin. My experience with LinkedToAsia has been life changing and I would do it again.
I am thankful that this program gave me the chance of a lifetime to immerse in a culture through teaching.
For more information about our China Aid Program to teach, simply click here. If you are ready to apply for our CAP now and start this amazing journey click here! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see more about what our teachers get to do and all of the fun they enjoy! In addition subscribe to our blog, don’t miss a thing!
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