Dear AWW,

I’ll always remember the image of the sun setting over the rice fields of rural Yunlin County, Taiwan, surrounded by laughter of the overseas and Taiwanese volunteers I worked with over the summer to teach English to an under-resourced middle school in the area. The program I joined was called English Teaching Volunteer Service Program for Overseas Youth and the link to apply is at the Overseas Community Affairs Council website.

We were walking to the small local night market 20 minutes away, reflecting about our day teaching the children and what we had learned, exchanging swear words in our respective languages, poking fun at each other, and sharing stories about our personal lives. Although we had just met, we chatted as if we had known each other for years and were just catching up.

The Taiwanese volunteers were alumni of the same summer program at the same middle school. They had come back to host the program because it had made an impact on their own lives. These volunteers were our bridge to the young students for whom we hoped to make the same lasting impact. The overseas volunteers, including myself, were students from across the U.S., and we were there to teach what is considered a highly marketable and competitive skill to students who had little access to teachers willing to teach in the area due to the lack of conveniences that can typically be found in the larger cities. For two worlds that seem so disparate, it’s surprising how much we have in common and how much a fortuitous collision of our worlds, even for just a short snippet of time, could leave such a large impact on us all.

It’s easy to initially see the difference in resource availability and to perceive lack relative to a world where, on a day-to-day basis, I don’t think twice about driving to work or to get food, tossing my dirty clothes into a laundry or drying machine, Googling things for immediate answers to my random musings. But I learned that squatting toilets, spotty Wi-Fi, fewer cars, and limited appliances don’t stand in the way of quality conversation, hearty laughter, good company, and cherished memories.

In fact, the snippets of time ingrained deeply in my memory are things I may otherwise have overlooked: a clear sky where I could see the stars, the soft glow of fireflies, gossip traded over hand-washing clothes, singing songs and scaring the shit out of each other for no good reason besides the fact that we were so present together. Back in the daily grind of grad school, I catch myself grinning from ear to ear as I reminisce. I wouldn’t trade these cherished moments for anything.

With smiles and hearty laughter,

Alyssa

Note from author: Hi! I’m Alyssa, and I’m currently pursuing a Ph.D. in bioengineering at UC San Diego. Besides an interest in synthetic biology, I am passionate about amplifying AAPI voices. I co-founded Lotus Magazine with my best friend from college to tell the stories of womxn in the AAPI community—you can find us on Instagram or on TikTok. We are always looking for other like-minded individuals or those who are willing to share a bit about their own life experiences, so hit us up! Outside of these passions, some of my hobbies/interests include reading, dancing, cooking, trying to be a better plant momma (advice welcome!), and of course, traveling!