This past Thursday I taught about University life, comparing Vietnam and the United States. We also had a discussion about GPA and it’s importance, and I surprised many of my students with my opinion on the topic: it’s not important. I told them my perspective, how it’s about the wholistic value of a person from intellect, to physique, to leadership ability, and ability to empathize with others. Anyway, I told them about my life back in the states as a student, athlete, and leader with a part time job, and was asked the question: Why do you choose to come here and teach when you are not getting paid, when you could be back home working and earning money?

It was strange, because no one had really asked about why I was here while understanding that context of my life. So naturally I had to give them a different answer. After giving it some more thought, here is an extended answer:

I work 11 out of the 12 months in a year. I study nearly 9 months of that year. I am a fulltime committed athlete 7 months a year. Fraternity leader, and budding entrepreneur on top of that. This is the one month a year that I get to live a completely different lifestyle than what I’m used to. This is the one month a year where I truly get to have no filter for my weirdness. This is the one month a year that I feel myself making a difference for so many lives outside of my own. 

Here in Hue, the culture and the atmosphere is so drastically different than in the US that I have to portray my personality differently. Here, I am looked at to be not only a leader but a teacher for these students; not only in English but in life. Here in Hue, I don’t have to worry about engineering, physics or calculus. I don’t have midterms or exams to worry about, or when I have time for lunch or any of that. All I worry about when I’m here is how I can make the absolute best lesson plan that is not only fun and engaging but informative and constructive to their English speaking skills. Most importantly, what life lessons I can teach that these students will take with them for the rest of their lives. 

This lifestyle here in Hue is so drastically different than what I have in the states that it’s difficult to imagine the other whilst living through one. Right now, I can’t be more proud of my students and how much they’ve grown in only two weeks. I can’t wait to see where they are by the end of this program, and that is the reason why I am here.