Dan Davidson Fellowship Essay: Mikhala Gittens
This story was originally shared on February 5, 2020.
This summer, while in Tainan, I spent a lot of my time at church. I attended the Mandarin language services and when I wanted to do homework, I would sit in the cafe owned by the church. This was a good experience for me because it was there that I met some of my now closest friends, I was able to practice using Mandarin in a low-stress environment, and my spirit and soul were fed. What made this experience even more gratifying was the fact that in the summer of 2018 when I was in Tainan attending a different language program, when at this church I had to use a translating device in order to understand the sermons. This past summer, I didn’t need use the translating device. Additionally, I could read my Mandarin Bible and take notes, even have Bible studies, all in Mandarin! I was amazed at the amount of growth I experienced in just a year. When I wasn’t in church, I would travel around the city with friends and try out traditional Taiwanese desserts or discover new cafes. These experiences are not extraordinary ones, but the fact that I could complete all these tasks in Chinese gave me a sense of achievement that only comes with hard work. I would count these as breakthroughs in my Chinese-learning journey, and they fueled me to continue trying to connect with people using this language skill I had acquired. By engaging with the local community I was able to apply what I learned in class to actual life, therefore solidifying their usage in my brain.
The scholarship I received from the Dan E. Davidson Fellowship enabled me to do the activities I wanted to do and go to the places I desired to visit without fear of having insufficient funds. I felt a freedom to enjoy myself and make the most out of my experience because I knew that I was covered financially. Money can be a major source of stress for people, especially during travel. If I did not receive this scholarship, I would have to ask myself before every purchase, “Do I really have enough to buy this?” If this were my attitude during the trip, I would not feel free to enjoy events and activities with friends for fear of not having enough money, thus negatively affecting my mood and ultimately hindering my language learning progress.
One of the hardest parts about returning from a trip abroad is dealing with the loss of the excitement and feelings you felt when you were in the host country. After coming back from Taiwan, my focus is to stay connected to the place, the people I met there, and the culture. I major in Chinese Studies at The Ohio State University. Though I no longer take Chinese language courses, the ones I am taking will sometimes introduce literature or history of Taiwan which is fun to learn about. I still keep my LINE account which is the primary app I use to stay connected with the friends I made in Taiwan. Through LINE, my friends and I share with each other the developments that are happening in our respective lives and they continue to teach me about different aspects of Taiwanese culture. When I experience “homesickness”, or in other words, when I miss Taiwan, talking to these friends helps me feel close to Taiwan. All my applications and devices are in Chinese, so I am able to maintain my reading and writing skills. Whenever I want to listen to music, I put on my Mando-pop playlist and hold private karaoke sessions. And of course, because I had such a pleasant and transformative experience in Tainan, I find ways to squeeze in stories to my family and friends about my adventures. Currently, I am seeking opportunities to return to Taiwan to teach English, continue my studies in Mandarin and hopefully begin studying Taiwanese Hokkien. I am so thankful for this scholarship because it gave me a means to go back to the place where I have made so many good friends, where I have grown in many different areas in my life, and where I can see myself being for a long time. As I talk with peers here in the U.S. I realize just how fortunate I was to have received an opportunity to study abroad such as this one. It is not something I take for granted. I am intentional in staying connected to Taiwan, returning there to live and work and learning Mandarin because in the future I would like to teach Mandarin in the public school system. I figure, as a non-native, it is imperative that I gain as much first-hand experience with the culture and the language as possible so that I can give my students a more accurate and lively representation of Taiwan’s culture and language. Words cannot express the gratitude I have toward the donors behind the Dan E. Davidson Fellowship who believed that they could impact someone’s life in a positive way. I hope that they know that their contributions and efforts are not in vain, and that they are allowing students like myself to learn more about the world around them, their place in it, and how they can better serve the people in it.
By: Mikhala Gittens
Program: Taiwan Intensive Summer Language Program
Term: Summer 2019
The Dan E. Davidson Fellowship supports highly qualified and deserving individuals who would otherwise not have the opportunity to build the skills that allow them to operate, negotiate, and establish ties in countries critical to U.S. economic, political, and social interests through language study and area studies coursework. Click here to learn more about Dr. Davidson and the Fellowship.