Houston,
04
March
2022
|
08:27 AM
America/Chicago

First Five UST Exchange Students Leave for Taiwan as part of newly created Mandarin Center

Left to right: Andrea Yang (Director of Education-TECO), Victoria Santos, Nicolette Rebossa, Anthony Windley, Robert Lo ( Director General – TECO) , Michelle Reyes, Anne Uteche, Dr. Yao-Yuen Yeh and Nicole Hsiao, Visiting Lecturer.Recently, five University of St. Thomas-Houston students – Anthony Windley, Victoria Santos, Michelle Reyes, Nicolette Rebossa and Anne Uteche – traveled to Taiwan on an exchange agreement forged last year with UST’s Catholic sister university in Taiwan, Wenzao Ursuline University of Foreign Languages. The trailblazing partnership, which launched in fall 2021 created the Mandarin Center of UST and WZU.

  • Anthony Windley is a BA/MA student, earning a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and Strategic Affairs. He will graduate in the summer of 2022. 
  • Victoria Santos is a BA/MA, earning a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and a Master of Arts in Diplomacy and Strategic Affairs.
  • Michelle Reyes is earning a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and International Development.
  • Nicolette Rebossa is earning a Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law and Society, and she graduates in 2022.
  • Anne Uteche is earning a Bachelor of Arts in International Business.

Huayu BEST Scholarship

These students applied for the Huayu BEST Scholarship, a unique opportunity where students can learn Mandarin in Taiwan. These five received the scholarship based on their academic merit, interest in studying in Taiwan and personal essays. While in Taiwan through the end of the semester, they will have an opportunity to fulfill English teaching internships in elementary and middle schools.

“The Huayu BEST exchange program provides rich opportunities for UST students to study Mandarin, the second largest language being spoken in the world, and to expose them to a Mandarin-speaking culture,” Dr. Yao-Yuan Yeh, chair of International Studies & Modern Languages and director of the Mandarin Center of UST and WZU, said. “This program also serves as a bridge for future academic collaboration between UST and other higher education institutions in Taiwan. It also symbolizes UST’s success in international engagement and cooperation.”

Mandarin Center

Dr. Hans Stockton, UST’s director of Taiwan and East Asia Studies Program, said, “The Mandarin Center is the latest culmination of the efforts by UST’s Taiwan and East Asia Studies Program to increase education and awareness about Taiwan, America’s national security interests in the region, and the tools necessary for effective people-to-people diplomacy.”

 To learn more about this scholarship, contact Ms. Nicole Hsiao, Mandarin Center, at hsiaoy@stthom.edu.