Reflections from 2009 RFK Scholarship Recipients

Kolette from New Mexico

I am very excited to receive this scholarship and use it towards my studies in China this summer. And it gives me a head start on my college studies. I would like to thank the Robert F. Kennedy Center and the American Institute for Foreign Study for giving me this opportunity to study abroad.

As a Native American Navajo girl to study abroad at Nanjing University was interesting, because, of the culture differences.  Many of the students and Chinese were very interested in my culture and how we live. After learning some of the Chinese culture, I have come to understand that there is similarities within the culture, but very different in the way that we approach our business matters.

China has grown for 10% per country for the past 30 years, and it’s still rapidly growing. While visiting Shanghai this summer I’ve seen pictures of the Bund from 1994 comparing it to what I’ve seen this summer. The growth is incredible but it’s unbelievable the construction plan they are planning for the summer of 2010. Expo 2010 will be the grand tradition of international fairs and expositions. The theme of the exposition will be “Better City, Better Life” and represents Shanghai’s new life in the 21st century as a major economic and cultural center. The Expo is expected to bring in the largest amount of visitors in the history of the world’s fairs in term of gross numbers. Just comparing the pictures from the past to present tells how much China has come a long way. And the rate there going, I can just imagine how much it is going to improve in the next century. It is amazing and I admire the people and how they work together. While visiting Oriental Pearl TV tower, Pudong area and the Huangpu River in Shanghai, I mainly saw construction everywhere. Tearing down small buildings and replacing them with 20 story or higher buildings, trying to keep up with their population.

Visiting China has really opened my eyes and made aware of the Chinese culture. They work every day to help their people for the betterment of their lives and the city. I feel like we can learn a great deal from the Chinese people on how to betterment our businesses by gaining awareness of culture differences and exploring cultural similarities. With this in mind I think we as Navajo people can work with our western neighbors in a similar matter and we can accomplish so many things. And with China I think we both imagine a better future for our country and want to stand on our own two feet but the Chinese people are more aggressive to accomplish their goals. That’s why they are higher in economic and in business. All in all there was so much to learn and China is very interesting place. I really enjoyed the visit to China and the Chinese people are very nice.