A Name Runs Through It: ECIT

My first school will always have a special place in my heart. My two years of teaching at the East China Institute of Technology caused me to fall in love with Chinese college students and, surprisingly, with the gritty city of Nanchang. I love Nanchang because my students are here. And because this city holds a cornucopia  of memories which has enriched my life ten times over.

I stayed in Nanchang because of the students at ECIT. I only agreed to transfer to my present school (Nanhang) because it was not far from my old one. Eventually, I fell in love with Nanhang and the precious students here. But there is still a warm spot in my heart for ECIT.

So, Friday afternoon marked the passing of an era in my life. Not only was it my last day of teaching at my current school, I finished my last academic involvement with ECIT. You see, every fall semester, when I introduce myself to my new classes, I tell the students that I started out teaching at ECIT. And last fall, after I said this, a hand shot up out of the crowd of grad students and a voice exclaimed: "You were my teacher!"

I was floored. I did not recognize this student, but here he was, an ECIT graduate, on my roster for my Oral English class for grad students, here at Nanhang! He had been a student in my semester-long Speaking and Listening class when he was an ECIT freshman or sophomore, and now he would be my student for a year.

Throughout the year, I grew to love the students of that grad class, and ten of them once squeezed into my tiny living room for a fun time of games and laughter. The ECIT grad, Trey, was there and I told him: "You know, when I heard you were from my old school, I felt like I had met someone from home!" He flashed a smile: "Me too!"

On Friday, I gave that student his final oral English exam and he was well-prepared and not afraid to speak. Before he and his classmates said goodbye, I told him that I had to take a picture with "the last ECIT student". He posed for the picture and then handed me a small gift with a card which read:
 
  "Miss Sarah:
Thanks for the cultivation of Miss Sarah for two years. Maybe you can't remember, you give me a low score so that I failed the exam in the first year of my college life. So that I had lost the scholarship. At that time, there were a hatred sentiments in my mind. But when you say you come from ECIT in the first class of postgraduate class, I was excited. Just like found the friends and give me more comfort. So, the words before [about hatred sentiments] is just a joke. The failure [in my freshmen year] is my respons[ibility], I didn't study hard and scared of speaking in class. But during this year, I become more confidence. I found your are a good teacher, was oppassinate [compassionate? or passionate?] careful and beautiful.
    I really thanks to you, I think everyone of our class must be sad when we knew you will come back to America. I wish you will happy no matter where are you.
    Your (ECIT) student,
    Trey

Book-ending my teaching in Nanchang with ECIT students: I wouldn't have it any other way.