With offers from 6 prestigious universities and 2 ivy league universities, another excellent Wenzhou-Kean University student graduates.

Undergraduate Major: English

Future University: University of Pennsylvania

Chen Bodong, who is twenty-two years’ old, is a graduating senior student of the Wenzhou-Kean University English department; he recently received graduate school offers from the University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University, New York University, Rutgers University, State University of New York at Buffalo and Kean University. Faced with offers from so many universities, he finally decided to further his postgraduate study in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education. According to News Ranking, the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education is ranked the second in the US., only behind the Harvard University Graduate School of Education.

A Regular Receiver of Scholarships, and an Active Participator in Research

Chen has maintained a high GPA of 3.96, has participated in interdisciplinary research projects with professors, has served as the student assistant of the Chinese Curricula Center in the past two years, and has received the dean scholarship and the Zhejiang provincial scholarship several times. In sum, Chen did not stand idling as is reflected from the six received offers from prestigious universities. “I am excited, but not surprised,” Chen said to our reporters.

From the first research project about medical libraries and public health in his freshman year, to the project “Teacher Written Feedback Strategies and Their Effectiveness on Improvement of ELL Writing” conducted over 2 years, to the project “Confucianism, Taoism and Biodiversity” … in less than four years, Chen has participated in five different research projects.

“Chen is not only an excellent undergraduate, but also an exceptional student researcher who is truly devoted into the research process,” said Charles Greenberg, the Director of Wenzhou-Kean University. Charles also suggests that this type of student is the kind that elite universities favor regarding their graduate candidates.

“Daily classroom learning is a spontaneous act, meanwhile putting what you learn into practice is an in-depth harvest,” Chen said. In the past four years, he cherished every opportunity to participate in projects and conduct research with professors.

As a pragmatic student, he chose UPenn for specific reasons

“Holistic admission process” is the general idea of the selection of candidates for graduate schools in the United States. Students are required to show their strengths and capacities not only in academic learning and research, but also in internships and volunteer activities.

It is the scholastic endeavors and bilateral balance of academic and extracurricular life that has become the basis for Chen Bodong to be admitted by those prestigious universities.

Among the six universities whose offers Chen received, the University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University are members of the eight ivy league universities in the United States.

Why did he choose to study at the University of Pennsylvania?

“The University of Pennsylvania pays much attention on the practicality of theoretical knowledge, and this is what I value most,” said Chen Bodong. He told our reporters that in the TESOL program he will study, UPenn will provide a lot of practice and classroom teaching opportunities, which is beneficial to his future career plan and development.

Initial motives not changing, staying focused to achieve professionalism

“I decided on my career in the field of language education before I came to Wenzhou-Kean University. Since then through the future, I will not change this inspiration.” Chen Bodong has a clear understanding of his future path.

“Now I have the opportunity to go study abroad, and this is the moment to see the gap between myself and others, thus improving myself constantly.” In Chen’s opinion, becoming a teacher requires the characteristics of life-long learning and critical self-improvement.

During the four years in college, Chen placed emphasis on the improvement of oral English communication. As a student assistant, he translated a large number of institutional documents for the school. During holidays, he worked as an intern teacher in his hometown, Taizhou, teaching English courses to students. In addition, he was also a volunteer in the international fashion exhibition (in Wenzhou), and responsible for translating artists’ creative ideas and experiences. “Only through continuous learning and practicing will I make progress. In order to achieve professionalism, one needs to be highly focused,” said Chen.

When referring to his achievements, Chen Bodong expressed his opinions bluntly: ” Whom is more learned is my teacher; whom is more righteous is my model. I met some of the best professors in my life at Wenzhou-Kean University. Furthermore, the international vision, independence and the pioneering spirit are the legacy of this university, which inspires me to forge ahead.

Chen admitted that his tenacity is just a reflection of the phenomenon consisting diligent staff members, professors and administrators on campus. Indeed, the members of this community show me excellent professional ethics,” He recalls, ” Professor Vinita has a very busy schedule and usually holds discussions with students at noon without having lunch. Professor Davide often works into midnight, without having a break during holidays. Teachers are recognized by their titles, but respected by their deeds. For example, our academic vice president, Dr.Yang Yixin, is dedicated to the development of WKU, and accordingly his office lights shine even during midnight. Such scenes are too numerous to count. Their lights alert me of the long road ahead. Only by being righteous and modest can I guarantee the continuous progress made towards my academic study and professional career.