School Year Abroad China

student photo Megan Fishman, '05, was accepted to the School Year Abroad China program founded by Phillips Academy in Andover. Megan, a student of Ms. Chang in second-year Chinese at Western, says she applied to the program "for the opportunity to learn language, interact with another culture, and learn in diverse surroundings." She likes learning languages, and thinks the program will be fun.

Although she and her family have concerns about the SARS outbreak in China — and there is the possibility the program might be postponed by SYA — Megan looks forward to travelling. This would be her first trip outside of the United States.

Megan, who decided to begin studying Chinese at Western "because it seemed like the most foreign" of the language choices, hopes to become fluent in Chinese language and culture be the end of her School Year Abroad program in Beijing.

Megan received a grant award of $30,000 to pay for almost the entire cost of her program. Congratulations, Megan!