[Student Reporters] Two Weeks of an Unforgettable Journey in Taiwan

Jenny Shim / 12th Cerritos High School

His two-week stay in Taiwan gave John Marzo an English and Film Studies teacher at Cerritos High School a truly unforgettable experience shaped by a course of unexpected events.

The Global Citizenship Program which Mr. Marzo participated in is established in Ming-Dao High School the second largest high school in Taiwan holding roughly 9000 students. This program allows for Ming-Dao high school students who are planning to pursue further studies in a native English speaking country to benefit from higher standards of education in several subject areas. It also hosts international exchange student and teacher programs between the Ming-Dao High School and schools in the ABC Unified school district.

Mr. Marzo visited Ming-Dao High School from August 1-17. He taught English and helped another teacher put together a Model UN conference during the course of two weeks by teaching kids how to write position papers.

"It was really nice to see the way students were enjoying the American way of teaching which typically tends to be much more interactive than the Taiwanese way" said Mr. Marzo.

His short stay in Taiwan was marked not only by his unique teaching experience but also by several very unexpected events - the breakout of the H1N1 flu at Ming-Dao High School and the strongest typhoon to have hit Taiwan in the last 50 years.

Mr. Marzo's trip around Taiwan and a one day tour of Hong Kong additionally gave him a glimpse of the diverse culture and technological innovations present throughout the area. In fact Mr. Marzo had a chance to ride the bullet train which uses magnetic force to run at 250 mph and explored the building in Taipei with the fastest elevator in the world.

"What I was most impressed about during the entire trip was what avid readers Taiwanese people are" said Mr. Marzo. "I once went into a bookstore that was six stories tall!"

Mr. Marzo states that one of the major reasons why he applied for the program was that he had a lot of students in his class from Asian countries. He left LAX with the mindset of at least getting to see and experience some of the culture in Taiwan which is an international business hub as well as one of the best cross-sections of Asia.

"In fact I think it gave me a different perspective" said Mr. Marzo. "I was able to understand why many Asian parents emigrate to the United States to grant more opportunities for their children. I strongly recommend this program to other teachers."