University News
WIU Honors Students Fondly Recount Semester in China (photos)
February 16, 2000
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New-found friends and a developing love for a foreign country, its people and culture were the outcome of a semester-long study in China for two Western Illinois University Honors students.
Patrick Mullen, a junior individual studies major from Granite City, and Raheal (pronounced Rah hell) Hanna, a junior music education major from Chicago, were among 27 college students from across the nation to earn a National Security Education Program (NSEP) scholarship to spend the fall 1999 semester studying at Qinghua University in Beijing, China.
The competitive NSEP grant was born out of the 1991 National Security Education Act, which has a three-fold mission: to understand foreign cultures; to strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness; and to enhance international cooperation and security.
NSEP offers semester study travel to China and Mexico, explained Mullen, who found out about the program as a second semester freshman when his adviser sent him to the WIU Study Abroad office to explore additional study opportunities.
"I learned about the opportunity for the NSEP trip to China, applied and was accepted," Mullen added. "That meant I had to learn the language over the next year and one-half, which I did with the help of DongPing Han (a WIU assistant political science professor). Our travel group also met in May 1998 and May 1999 for two intensive two-week institutes at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign).
Hanna applied for the scholarship while she was a student at South Suburban College, a community college in South Holland. She transferred to WIU in 1998 on the advice of her music teacher Andy Hoefle, who had been an adjunct professor at Western.
Hanna chose the China study option because "I never had much exposure to Asian people, so I wanted to learn more about that culture."
The diverse NSEP study group included East Indian, Chinese American, Native American, Hispanic, African American and Caucasian students. They left Aug. 25 for Qinghua University, where they were housed in an international residence hall. They returned to the United States Dec. 21.
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"Qinghau is the MIT of China. It is a prestigious scientific university; we were studying with the best of the best," Hanna said.
"It was intense. We studied the language three hours a day Monday through Friday and we had another two-hour lesson in history or economics Monday through Thursday," Mullen said.
"We had some great experiences," he added. "We climbed the Great Wall; we went to Tienamin Square Oct. 1 for the 50-year anniversary of the Chinese revolution; we road camels in the Gobi Desert; and we visited Xi'an, a famous archeological site.
"But the crowning experience for me was the final eight days of the semester; I bought a train ticket and toured the state of Shandong by myself," Mullen said. "I was one of two foreigners traveling by train. The people were so nice; it was a great experience.
"I've always enjoyed Chinese history and the philosophies of Buddhism and Taoism," Mullen added. "I had a wonderful time everywhere I went. I really would like to return to China to work, maybe in some environmental aspect."
Mullen said he enjoys any opportunity to talk about his travels and study in China, especially in his Honors classes and seminars. Mullen and Hanna are among approximately five percent of students in Western's Illinois Centennial Honors College, which offers special opportunities for enriched academic classes, professional growth, leadership and service. A flexible curriculum, Honors seminars and individually designed projects, research and internships allow students an opportunity to work closely with Honors faculty.
Hanna's experiences were centered closer to the university exploring the culture of Beijing.
"That last week was so memorable because I spent each day doing what I wanted to do -- taking pictures, walking alone -- and there was kindness in everyone I met," Hanna said. Throughout the semester, Hanna used her "voice to communicate."
"The dorm we stayed in was close to the music building, and I was drawn to it. It's what my grandmother calls the 'law of attraction.' I took voice lessons and performed three times in an open mic jazz club and sang with the university choir. The whole experience of China was musically extremely reaffirming to me. It really helped me further understand how important music is in my life. After China I became excited about finishing my degree at WIU. However, if I didn't have classes to finish to get my degree, I would have found some way to stay in China; perhaps teaching English. It's easy for a native English speaker to find work teaching English. I taught English to a group of 5-year-olds and their parents at a school for a day. It was a very rewarding experience; they were so receptive. Everyone there wants to learn English," Hanna said.
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Hanna began voice lessons at the Sherwood Conservatory of Music in 1994 as an 18-year-old. She also was an AmeriCorps volunteer in 1994, mentoring and tutoring students in English and poetry in the greater Englewood area of Chicago. She has also trained at Gallery 37, a summer arts program, for two consecutive years in painting and poetry. Her career plans include teaching choral music, performing and teaching voice. Hanna said her goal is to earn her first master's degree in English as a Second Language (ESL) and travel, definitely back to China. She would eventually like to pursue a second master's degree in musicology, performance or music education.
"I would strongly encourage all college students to study abroad," Hanna said. "It's such an amazing experience. It's fun, scary, beautiful, exhausting; but it's really a blessing, and the greatest gift we have in the world is each other."
Mullen, a 1997 graduate of Granite City High School, is the son of Michael and Reggie Mullen of Granite City. His father, an accountant, is a 1967 WIU alumnus with a degree in business management.
Hanna, a 1993 graduate of James H. Bowen High School and a 1998 associate of arts degree graduate of South Suburban College, is the daughter of Jenella Hanna of Waukegan.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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