何欢（中国）
 何欢是上海市进才中学学生，2011年参加富尔登国际文化交流项目赴美国，2012年6月回国。
Final Essay
Last year, I joined Forte, an exchange student program which is supported by the Shanghai International Association, to go to United States for ten months. Time went by fast, and I enjoyed my time in the U.S a lot. I really appreciate Shanghai International Association to give me this opportunity, to let me go into an American family and deepen my cognition of a different racial group and their culture.
This ten-month journey helps me grow into an individual person. Under the One Child Policy, I am the only child in my family; hence I always live my life under my parents’ ‘over protection’. This ten-month program allows me for the first time to leave home and have a taste of living with other two siblings. Although my host family treated me pretty well, it still could not compare with my own family, which means for the most time I have to take care of myself. While living with my home-stay family, I learnt to take care of myself.
This ten-month journey broadened my horizon. With my host families (I had changed host family), my P.E teacher and my school, I visited Chicago for four times, Lincoln’s home in Springfield, IL, St. Louis, MI, Kansas City, MI, Boston, MA, Macro Island, FL. In general, I got to visit a big portion of the U.S, from the Midwest to the East coast and to the Deep South. Travelling was always the fun part, every time I could see something new and learn something different. Chicago is a place full of my wonderful memories. In Chicago, I watched a musical, A Christmas Story, in the Chicago Theater; the theater is very old-fashioned and beautiful. I also saw (very close!) a political figure there, Jessie Jackson. Even though he is very controversial, and some people may think he is infamous, nearly everybody knows his name. He was Martin Luther King, Jr.’s friend, and was by his side when he got assassinated! So regretful that I did not ask for a picture taken with him! In Boston we also visited many places, top Universities, the freedom trail, etc. On Macro Island, we went fishing in the ocean. I caught three fish, which was the best, and that’s my first time. I saw four wild dolphins chasing our ship, a huge sea turtle floating to the surface of water and a SHARKKKK. It was amazing, wasn’t it?
This ten-month journey also gives me a chance to experience a different education system. In America, school encourages students to do more sports, and to do more experiments. As a rule, their students have more time to study what they enjoy, and the school has the ability to provide a platform and an opportunity for the students who have thoughts or talent. Also, you can choose the subject which you want study, of course, there are a number of subjects which you have to take in order to graduate. I enjoyed my study in my school, even though the school is only a community school, and it is not as good as my original school in Shanghai. I met some excellent teachers, and very nice students. I got to get involve in many activities and clubs. In addition, one of my art works was exhibited in a public library, and I got picked to attend a chemistry contest in Illinois State University and a Math contest in University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Campus.
More importantly, this ten-month journey helps me improve my English and get familiar with American culture. Actually, Americans are pretty different with what Chinese people think, and American culture is very interesting.
I want to thank Shanghai International Association again for providing me such an amazing experience. I hope more and more students may join in exchange students programs and Shanghai International Association can be better and better! The past ten months have been wonderful for me!
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