Six Rider University undergraduate students have been selected to travel to Fuzhou, China this summer to tutor English and teach American culture to middle and high school-aged students. They are the first to venture there as part of Rider’s on-going initiatives to prepare students for an increasingly global world.

The students – Pamela Estel, a junior English major; Richard Griffin, a senior history major; Wui (Stella) Hickman, a junior human resource management major; Geoffrey Rickert, a senior computer information systems major; Omar Vasquez, a junior history major; and Matthew Wong, a senior marketing major -- will work 30 hours per week from July 8 to July 22 at the Fuzhou No. 1 Middle School, which will pay for most of their expenses including room and board. While there, they will also visit several other locales in China including the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City in Beijing, Xiamen and the island of Gulangyu.

“This trip spearheads Rider’s efforts at assembling a broad portfolio of opportunities in China which will eventually include experiential learning, internships and University courses,” said Joe MacAde, director of international programs at Rider. “When we reviewed their applications, we mainly looked for a combination of strong references indicating adaptability, motivation, maturity and some background in tutoring and/or working with diverse groups.”

Jamie O’Hara, vice president of enrollment management; Dr. Anne Osborne, professor of history; and Dr. Minmin Wang, professor of communication, were driving forces behind the trip. According to O’Hara, giving Rider students the opportunity to work in Asia is a great learning experience, especially for those interested in a global career. “An experience of living abroad for a month where you are working in a job overseas gives you more insight on adapting to a new culture,” he said.

Dr. Osborne concurs. “It should be a wonderful experience for them,” she said. “I hope that some of the students will come away with a new thirst for knowledge of China’s language, history and culture. Some may even choose to take advantage of Rider’s new offering of Chinese language classes beginning this fall.”

Students of all majors were encouraged to apply. For Pamela Estel, the farthest she has traveled abroad is to Canada. “I feel a mixture of nervousness and excitement,” she said. “I’ll get to experience life on the other side of the world in a culture and language completely alien to me. I hope to improve my communication skills and experience a different culture. Although I am not certain of what my professional goals are , I think this experience can help me in narrowing options down to a career path I can really set myself to.”

Said Dr. Wang: "I want to congratulate these six students and wish them the very best in China. They are the first Rider students in Fuzhou and I hope their successful stories will help this program to continue and to allow more students to go in the future. "