"While I have been to Beijing twice in the past few years for travel, my experience with the Honor's program and Beijing Huiling has completely changed my outlook on Beijing as a city. Before the program, I thought Beijing couldn't offer anything new to me besides well-walked paths of tourist destinations and temples I'd already seen many times during my travels in Asia. However, I was very wrong. Working with Beijing Huiling on a day-to-day basis had (has) given me an opportunity to experience what living in a Chinese city truly felt like. After four weeks of getting to connect with individuals from an overlooked part of Chinese society, it is difficult now to imagine leaving this lifestyle and going back to what I know in the states. The only thing I would change about the experience is that I wish it was longer, so that I could continue to be a part of the warm community at Beijing Huiling and their mission."
- Lauren Gao
