Back in the US After A Year Abroad

By:

Christopher Covington

Published:

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The Trials and Tribulations of Re-Entry Back into Ordinary Life in the USA & The Advantages and Future Goals Realized After A Year Abroad

Since being back in the US for the last two and half months, I thought it was about time to make my last blog in video form, where I converse about all of the trials and tribulations I have underwent since my re-entry in the USA and the life I left behind just a year ago. Also, I include all of the advantages I have gained and the future goals realized after my study abroad experience in China. I hope all future students abroad can watch this video and understand what awaits you back the difficulties of reassimilation, but also the doors that you can open in both your academic and future occupation by taking the leap abroad. Thank you, Fund for Education Abroad for allowing me the chance to undergo a lifelong dream and one of the single most important opportunities of my life!

–Christopher Steven Covington

Christopher Covington

Nว hวŽo, my name is Christopher Steven Covington. I am a 25 year old, lifelong resident of a small, quaint town outside of Spartanburg, South Carolina called Sugar Tit. True to my southern roots, I was raised to hold hard work and dedication in high esteem, and to never underestimate the strength of the human spirit. Unbeknownst to me, these childhood lessons would prepare me for some of lifeโ€™s most grueling obstacles; including but limited to, being diagnosed with epilepsy my freshman year in high school, and losing two grandparents and a fraternity brother/friend during my first semester of college resulting in my untimely withdrawal from college. But with unwavering persistence and the help of family, I persevered to become a more mature and resilient man all while returning to college to further my education. Now, I am a junior pursuing my BA in Modern Language with concentration in Chinese at Clemson University. GO TIGERS! Thanks to FEA, I will be attending USACโ€™s program in Chengdu, China for the 2013-14 academic year which will enable me to meet my majorโ€™s study abroad requirement, reduce my time in college by one academic year, and gain direct experience of Chinaโ€™s culture and language critical to my future career as a foreign language teacher. As an educator, I hope to foster the next generation of students and leaders of the world with the knowledge and, even more importantly, the appreciation one can gather from learning about different cultures, customs, and beliefs that differ from their own.