Claire Doyle
International Business- Asia Track, Management and Human Resources, Chinese
I have been continuing my passion for travel and made it to Costa Rica before beginning the Human Resources Leadership Development Program with Johnson & Johnson.
I have been learning Chinese and travelling to China frequently from a young age. However, I never fully commit to immersing myself in the language and decided to take up the challenge at UW!
Learning and fully committing to a new language has opened my perspective to new cultures and countries. Now, whenever travelling I am able to understand how languages are different – whether it’s grammar patterns, common phrases, slang, or mannerisms!
The language classes I took were typically much smaller than other classes and always had the same people because the majors were smaller. The smaller class sizes made it a great open environment to learn together. It was great to walk into a new class each semester and know that there would always be a familiar friendly face!
Studying abroad in Tianjin was easily the highlight of my college career. I was able to make great lifelong friends, both from UW and around the world. I was lucky to participate in an entirely new culture and not only learn the language, but experience every day life there as well.
I am still in contact with many friends from Tianjin and friends from my classes and we attempt as much as possible to continue practicing Chinese. I also love to watch Chinese TV shows and keep up to date 🙂
Fully immerse yourself in your experience and take advantage of every opportunity you can. UW has so many ways that you can learn and immerse yourself in different languages, cultures, or just find a new way to grow. After you graduate, it becomes much more difficult to find those opportunities in one place and people going on a similar journey with you. Dedicate yourself to truly learning your respective language and practice and embrace it relentlessly.