Shannon Mann, '13
December 13, 2012
Boren Scholar explores China
Spring semester will be the first time in more than a year and a half that Shannon Mann, ’13, is taking classes on Richmond’s campus.
Instead, she spent most of that time studying at the Chinese Studies Institute in Beijing.
Mann, a senior majoring in Chinese studies, set off to study abroad in mainland China the fall of her junior year. Since then, she won a Boren Scholarship, which helped fund additional stints abroad. The program is administered by the National Security Education Program and is designed to support the study of less commonly taught languages in regions critical to United States interests. Recipients agree to at least one year of service in the federal government upon graduation.
This fall Mann took courses taught mostly in English in order to get the credits outside her major she needs to graduate. Only one of her courses was taught in Mandarin. “I’ve kind of maxed out all my Chinese credits,” Mann explains.
Outside the classroom, Mann found outlets to practice her language skills. Some of her most memorable moments were with a hiking club she joined.
The group spent two weeks retracing the steps of the Long March, a series of military retreats credited with beginning Mao Zedong’s rise to power in China.
“To evade the other army, they basically had to keep moving. That was the strategy. They would just walk in order to keep the majority of their army safe,” Mann explains. “The walk that they did — unbelievable. Most of the army was lost, but that’s how Mao won his legitimacy.”
She estimates they covered around a third of the marches, usually hiking between 15 and 30 kilometers each day. Sometimes they advanced by train.
“It was great, because Beijing is just nuts. It’s cars everywhere. It’s people everywhere,” Mann says. “But for me I loved to get out and see a whole different side of China. There are some beautiful, just breathtaking scenery throughout the whole country.”
The hiking group stayed in the homes of people and helped out with farm work along the way.
“We got to see how welcoming people could be to complete strangers and Americans — just inviting us into their home, giving us water, letting us sleep on their floor.” Mann says. “They taught us how to plow. I got to try to round up a whole bunch of chickens. I was not bothered at all. I worked on farms when I was younger.”
Mann grew up in the small town of Abingdon, Va., in the valley of southwestern Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains. But finding the familiar abroad was still different than what she expected.
“It’s a whole world of difference. What shocked me is people think China is very developed and giving us a run for our money — which they are — but most people don’t live in the cities and it’s still a vastly rural country.”
Instead, she spent most of that time studying at the Chinese Studies Institute in Beijing.
Mann, a senior majoring in Chinese studies, set off to study abroad in mainland China the fall of her junior year. Since then, she won a Boren Scholarship, which helped fund additional stints abroad. The program is administered by the National Security Education Program and is designed to support the study of less commonly taught languages in regions critical to United States interests. Recipients agree to at least one year of service in the federal government upon graduation.
This fall Mann took courses taught mostly in English in order to get the credits outside her major she needs to graduate. Only one of her courses was taught in Mandarin. “I’ve kind of maxed out all my Chinese credits,” Mann explains.
Outside the classroom, Mann found outlets to practice her language skills. Some of her most memorable moments were with a hiking club she joined.
The group spent two weeks retracing the steps of the Long March, a series of military retreats credited with beginning Mao Zedong’s rise to power in China.
“To evade the other army, they basically had to keep moving. That was the strategy. They would just walk in order to keep the majority of their army safe,” Mann explains. “The walk that they did — unbelievable. Most of the army was lost, but that’s how Mao won his legitimacy.”
She estimates they covered around a third of the marches, usually hiking between 15 and 30 kilometers each day. Sometimes they advanced by train.
“It was great, because Beijing is just nuts. It’s cars everywhere. It’s people everywhere,” Mann says. “But for me I loved to get out and see a whole different side of China. There are some beautiful, just breathtaking scenery throughout the whole country.”
The hiking group stayed in the homes of people and helped out with farm work along the way.
“We got to see how welcoming people could be to complete strangers and Americans — just inviting us into their home, giving us water, letting us sleep on their floor.” Mann says. “They taught us how to plow. I got to try to round up a whole bunch of chickens. I was not bothered at all. I worked on farms when I was younger.”
Mann grew up in the small town of Abingdon, Va., in the valley of southwestern Virginia’s Appalachian Mountains. But finding the familiar abroad was still different than what she expected.
“It’s a whole world of difference. What shocked me is people think China is very developed and giving us a run for our money — which they are — but most people don’t live in the cities and it’s still a vastly rural country.”