Student gives first impressions of America
When graduate student, Wen Lan Xu, first stepped onto American soil, she had mixed feelings about the country.
Her adventure here in the United States did not start off smoothly. Xu encountered some of her most stressful days here, in America.
Xu arrived in the United States on Sept. 10, a day before the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington D.C. She came overwhelmed with lots of things in her mind.
Her flight from San Francisco to Salt Lake City was cancelled due to the tragedy on Tuesday, and to make things worse, Xu was already a few weeks late to school due to visa complications.
“When I arrived, I was exhausted. I was neither surprised nor excited since I was preoccupied with a lot of things in my mind,” Xu said.
In order to reach Logan, she had to take a 21-hour bus trip, and in doing so, she lost one piece of luggage while being shuffled back and forth at the bus station in California.
“I was yelled at because I didn’t know what to do,” Xu said.
But her rough experience in her first two days in the U.S. took a big shift when she reached Logan.
“I come from a country with a great population, but here in Logan, it is different. The buildings are not as high.
Logan is beautiful, filled with fresh air, green grass, and a blue sky. It was love at first sight,” Xu said.
Xu is the youngest of two children in her family. She has a brother who works in San Francisco.
Her parents believed she should get the best education she could get, and that triggered her to pursue a higher education in the U.S..
As a native of Yan Tai, a city in Northern China, Xu graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Yan Tai Teachers University. She was initially accepted to six different universities across the U.S., but her parents’ choice was USU.
“My parents decided that I should attend USU because it is the closest institution from my brother’s place in San Fransisco,” Xu said.
Furthermore, she said Michael Sweeney, graduate studies coordinator and assistant proffessor in the journalism and communication department, responded to her application immediately and warmly.
Although Xu might have a lot on her mind when she came to USU, her concerns soon dissolved when she met with Ted Pease, professor and department head of the journalism and communication department, Sweeney and other graduate students within the department.
“They were very warm, friendly and hospitable,” Xu said.
Xu also said she will try to learn about the American culture and enjoy her academic life here as much as she can.
“When I sat in my brother’s new car, I felt that my new life had begun,” Xu said.
To her, coming to America is already a success.
When asked about her reaction to Tuesday’s incident, Xu said the first thing she saw in the news was people jumping off buildings, and that hurt her because the most important part of the tragedy was the people.
“I believe America will recover soon because She is powerful.
But at the same time, I resent war because it is never the best solution,” Xu said.
Xu is now in her first week of graduate school, emphasizing in communication and broadcasting. She thanks everyone who has helped her and made her stay here pleasant.
“Everyone has been very friendly,” Xu said.