History

Why did I leave my job as an engineer to volunteer as a teacher in China?

This was a question that I was commonly asked during my time in China. Not all that long ago I never would have even considered doing such a thing. I was happy working as an engineer for Emerson Motor Company and besides, I thought that I really didn’t like working with kids. I was also going to school at Washington University in St. Louis where I earned my BSME and MSME.

Washington University is blessed with an amazing Newman Center where I went to church. I loved going to the Newman Center grew tremendously both spiritually and emotionally through my involvement with the center. It was through my involvement that my life changed and I became open to international service.

In December of 1997, I was part of a group of thirteen people who traveled to Calcutta, India to  work with the Missionaries of Charity, the order that Mother Theresa’s had founded. Opening myself to the experience of serving people in the different houses that the Sisters run in Calcutta was an amazing experience. Like all service work, I think that I actually gained more than I gave. From the trip I learned that I enjoyed working with children. Whether it be with the street kids at Nabojibon run by the Brothers of Charity or whether it be the boy who I spent Christmas day with at Premdam, I liked being with the children. I also realized that I wanted to serve as an international volunteer for a longer period of time. I wanted to give back to others from the tremendous blessings that I have in my life.

So began my search for on organization through which to volunteer. Specifically, I wanted to volunteer as an engineer in Asia. I chose Asia as a destination because the cultures there are so different from those in the West. Walking down a street in India, I was constantly birraged by images and sounds that reminded me of nothing in the US. And, I wanted to serve in Asia as an engineer since engineering is the gift that I have.

However, my search was long and frustrating in that no one needed a mechanical engineer. Civil engineers were in demand, but the developing countries needed infrastructure or roads or sanitation before they needed the machinery that I could help with. So, teaching appeared to be the only route for me to follow.

I looked at programs such as Peace Corps and Jesuit Volunteer Corps International that had positions in Asia. The Peace Corps is a strong program and I in fact applied to the program and was accepted. But, in the end, I decided that I did not want to be in a remote place by myself.

Part of the power of my Calcutta experience was that there were others who were with me who understood the emotions or experiences that I could not explain to others who were not there. For example, my friend Monica and I only needed to look at monkeys and I knew that she too was thinking about people in our group being attacked by monkeys in Agra. Or, something as simple as Wet Wipes could start members of the India group reminiscing about our experiences. I knew therefore that I wanted to be with others, not so much for a security blanket, but to share the amazing experiences that I would undoubtedly have on my trip.

After almost a year of searching for the right program, I stumbled across the WorldTeach program. WorldTeach offered volunteer programs as a teacher in several countries that I was interested in, including China. I had been fascinated by China for a long time and in fact had been taking classes in Mandarin at Washington University at night. WorldTeach offered the flexibility of choosing where I wanted to serve at a teacher. Plus I would be sent as a group, but working at a school by myself or with one other. Therefore, I could have my own experiences, but have a group there to share with as well. Additionally, the term of the contract was six months, renewable to one year. WorldTeach seemed like a good fit.

I applied to the program and I was accepted in October, 1999. From that point on I was busy with getting my affairs in order, selling my car and moving my things from St. Louis to my parent’s house in Boston. I was really nervous about not having taught before, so at the request of WorldTeach, I began to help tutor adults learning English in University City.

Arriving in Yantai did nothing to diminish my nervousness about teaching. However, the orientation and practice teaching sessions that WorldTeach provided helped to get me ready for that first day. Standing in front of sixty students that first day was very nerve-racking, but actually fun. Over time, I found that I really enjoyed teaching and being around the students. Plus the people at my school were really great to me and I have some good friends amongst the teachers. Not that there weren’t days that I dreaded stepping up in front of the class or planning a lesson. But overall, I had a tremendous experience. I had far too many students to get to know them all. But, invitations to some of my student’s homes or to play with them outside of class provided me with some unforgettable memories.

I highly recommend the WorldTeach program for international volunteer work. It is a strong, well established organization with a good support network. WorldTeach took care of all of my preliminary paperwork for my visa, my residence permit and my Foreign Expert Card. The organization is also good at being hands off in that they were there if I needed them, but otherwise I was on my own. Being there when I needed them proved to be crucial when I broke my ankle in October or when I tore my cornea in November. WorldTeach was eager to help in any way that I needed and I think that a medical emergency is the real test of an organization.

I want to set a precedent for my children.   They won't hear me say on my deathbed that I wish I had lived my life differently.

- Francis Ford Coppola

 jeffmahn@hotmail.com

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