Jason Chen, Class of 2015
Learning Abroad Program: University of Oviedo Exchange
U Background: BA, Spanish and HBA, Biology, 2015
Current Position: Medical Student at the University of Utah and Graduate Public Health Student at the Utah Asia Campus (UAC)
My Story
As the child of Taiwanese immigrants who came to the United States in pursuit of higher education, participating in the University of Utah’s year-long exchange program in Oviedo, Spain was the gateway to better understanding my personal and professional values. The process of applying for a visa, learning how to navigate systems in a foreign country, and learning another language helped me better understand my parents’ experience, but also those of other immigrant groups.
Learning abroad also helped me realize how important it is to learn more about my heritage. When you’re abroad, you kind of become a mini-ambassador for your country. In my case, I felt like I had to represent Taiwan more than the United States, which felt strange to me because I had lived my entire life in America.
Upon returning to Utah, the intersection of my interests in Spanish language and immigrant populations inspired me to learn about Mexican American experiences and I felt compelled to go to Mexico to better understand their cultural realities. However, I thought it was too late to pursue further international opportunities because I was in my senior year and applying to medical school. To that regard, I would say it’s never too late.
After graduation, I used the FLAS scholarship to study Mandarin at the Princeton in Beijing summer program and then spent the following year in Tabasco, Mexico as an English Teaching Assistant with the State Department’s Fulbright program.
As federally funded programs with a purpose of promoting America’s soft power, participation in these programs helped me realize that one core value that I seek in my future career is public service.
During my first two years of medical school, I realized that many of my mentors who were involved in administration have other graduate degrees in addition to their MD. Further, through using Spanish in the clinic, I also realized that I needed to improve my Mandarin to better cater to the needs of my future patients.
These two realizations motivated me to participate in the State Department’s Critical Language Scholarship for Mandarin study in the summer of 2018 and also pursue a Master’s of Public Health at the University of Utah’s Asia Campus, where I am studying this year.
I would like to leave the following messages to potential students:
- Learning abroad not only changes your perspective of the world, but also of yourself. I would have never internalized my core values of public service and proficiency in foreign languages if it wasn’t for the opportunity to study in Oviedo.
- It’s never too late to start. There are lots of opportunities for graduate students as well as undergraduates. Funding is an issue, but where there’s a will, there’s a way. I have learned that there are a variety of fully funded opportunities through the State Department, especially if you show interest in learning a “critical need language”. These programs were specifically created to develop the pipeline for careers in federal service. If you aspire to be a diplomat or work in the military, it might benefit you to master one of these critical need languages.
Best of luck on your journey, we’re all rooting for you! As the Chinese proverb says, "Traveling thousands of miles is better than reading thousands of books." (读万卷书不如行万里路)
Note: The photos in traditional Chinese garb come from a movie we made during the Critical Language Scholarship program (CLS) this summer, where we had to fight for an embroidered ball to ask for a maiden’s hand in marriage. The movie is in Chinese, but there are English captions. I’m at 3:38. Click here to watch the film: https://youtu.be/jCCFJP4D5KM.