Nars Chang
“ALLEX opened a door for me. It was a life-changing experience.”
– Nars Chang, Software Project Manager, Boston, MA
Host University: Lesley University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Program: Two-year degree-seeking Teaching Associate Program
Degree: Masters in Intercultural Relations
Language: Chinese
Motivation for Participating in ALLEX
I joined ALLEX in my early thirties. Before joining ALLEX, I already had several years of work experience in Taiwan working for a manufacturing company. I started as an office manager and was then promoted to Customer Relationship Manager. After that job, I had the opportunity to run two small distributors for a couple years. Although I had studied English Literature and Language in college and had visited the U.S. for business, I had never lived in the U.S. before ALLEX.
When I was working in Taiwan, my goal had always been to study abroad. However, it was financially challenging for me, especially to come to the U.S. to study, because it is so expensive. I knew that I wanted to go to a different country and try something new. Thanks to the financial aid offered by the ALLEX program, I had the opportunity to do that. Without ALLEX, I probably would not be here in the U.S. now. That was a huge positive outcome of ALLEX for me.
Summer Teacher Training
The summer training program was quite challenging – in a good way! It was a gateway program to give me a sense of the U.S. academic environment. The training taught me how to put together lesson plans and organize materials. I also learned how to manage interactions with students and faculty members, and how to identify and handle issues in the classroom. The program also gave me a taste of social life outside of the classroom. One of the most important lessons I learned was how to correct my students when they said something wrong. With my Chinese background, I was not used to correcting other people. The program taught me that correcting students’ mistakes is a very valuable way to help my students make progress.
Benefits of Participating in ALLEX
I would absolutely recommend to others to participate in ALLEX. First, the program was a life-changing experience for me. Second, the experience itself is valuable. It is challenging to teach and study at the same time But precisely because it is not easy, it is an achievement worth pursuing. I would recommend that people do this program to challenge themselves.
Participating in ALLEX also helped me understand myself, especially what I want to do in life. Before ALLEX, I worked for for-profit companies. Then I made the dramatic career change to teach in the U.S, which made me consider working for a nonprofit. While I was doing my masters, I interned at the United Nations Association of Greater Boston and realized that working in the non-profit sector was not for me. Next, since I had taught Chinese for two years, I considered a career in Chinese teaching. I did really love teaching. I especially loved seeing my students make progress and being able to encourage my students to keep learning. However much I loved teaching, I felt that it was not something I wanted to do right now, maybe after I retired. Going through the whole process helped me understand myself and explore different opportunities for my future.
Work Experience after ALLEX
Currently, I am working as a project manager for a software company in Boston. I got this job not directly through ALLEX, but it is related – ALLEX opened a door for me. At the end of my second year while I was job hunting, one of my adult students at Lesley University sent my resume to her nephew, who gave it to my current employer. Although that company hired me based on my work experience in Taiwan, it was through being here in the United States and networking during my experience in ALLEX that created that opportunity. Who would have known that teaching Chinese would help me find a job as a software project manager?
Even though I have lived in the United States for 8 years now, life here can still feel surreal sometimes. I will be shopping at the grocery store, looking around and thinking to myself, “If it were not because of ALLEX, I would not be here now.” To me, the ALLEX program is just the beginning, not the end.