Chinese student at Lawrence helping better rural education in homeland
Appleton — He may not have chosen a major, but Lawrence University freshman Andy (Yuhan) Wang knows his purpose in life: help rural students all over the world go to school.
Last year, Wang created the Andy Reading Fund, a nonprofit organization that provides books and supplies to rural Chinese students.
The Andy Reading Fund was launched after Wang, a native of Shenyang, China, attended high school in Seattle. He started blogging as a way to cope with culture shock, and the blog turned into a book. All proceeds from “High School Encounter: Seattle” go to the Andy Reading Fund.
“I felt like I had the opportunity to enjoy one of the best educational resources in the world, but my peers in rural China need to walk miles to go to a school that is without adequate educational resources,” Wang said. “They don’t have well-trained teachers, and sometimes they even don’t have electricity in some of the areas. I felt like I needed to do something for them.”
Compared to the students who are helped by his organization, Wang grew up in another world.
Shenyang is a city of 8 million people. Wang’s parents could afford to send him to the United States for high school.
It wasn’t until he visited a school in rural China that he saw how difficult getting an education can be, especially for students who don’t have access to basic items like jackets to wear in the winter.
When the Andy Reading Fund began, Wang wanted to provide books to schools in rural China. Its mission has evolved, to help give children basic necessities like coats and shoes.
The organization has chapters in China and Hong Kong, South Korea, Canada, the United States and Russia. Student representatives affiliated with the chapters fundraise to sponsor a Chinese student’s education expenses. The costs range from $200 per year for elementary and middle school students to $400 or $500 per year for high school students.
By the time he graduates from Lawrence, Wang hopes to have 500 volunteers raising money for rural students not just in China but all over the world.
Wang hasn’t decided what he will study. He’s interested in several fields, including psychology, gender studies, engineering, math and international studies.
Students from more than 50 countries attend Lawrence, said Leah McSorley, the university’s director of international student services.
A total of 179 students come from 34 countries, while another 60 students have dual citizenship in their native countries and the U.S. With the dual citizens, the number of countries represented at Lawrence jumps to 52.
There are a number of things that draw international students to the liberal arts college, McSorley said.
“I think students are attracted to Lawrence because they can become highly involved in a wide range of different activities and classes, the close relationships they can build with Lawrence faculty and staff, as well as the residential nature of our campus,” she said.
The diverse student body at Lawrence was a huge factor in Wang’s decision to enroll.
“It’s a really good opportunity for me and for other students here to understand another culture, to get an idea of how other people are thinking and to understand globalization,” he said. “I think it’s a really good opportunity that I can’t find in many places in the U.S.”