For the first time ever, TCC's annual trip to its “Sister School” in Taiwan will include students. The seven students: Skylar Carlson, Morgan Helton, Abraham Reising, Christopher Ryan Young, Folayan Wright, Ray Harless and Amy Smith, will leave Tallahassee on July 2 for a month-long visit to Taiwan.
The trip is a continuation of a partnership which began 16 years ago. After visiting TCC in the spring of 1993, Jerry Fussell, an English teacher at San Sin High School of Commerce and Home Economics, initiated the invitation with the help of his wife, Ellie, who is Taiwanese and a graduate of TCC. That summer, eight instructors from TCC traveled to Kaohsiung where they taught English grammar and vocabulary to the students at San Sin. The relationship has continued every summer since and, in 1995, official documents were signed which made San Sin TCC's official “Sister School.”
"TCC is extremely proud to have such a longstanding relationship with our Taiwanese friends,” said TCC President Bill Law. “This is a unique chance for our students and we are proud to support them in their endeavors; it is another demonstration of the variety of opportunities at Tallahassee Community College and the expansion of our Global Education Initiative."
Since it began in 1993, numerous TCC instructors and local school teachers have traveled to Taiwan. Additionally, a number of San Sin High School graduates have attended and graduated from TCC, signaling the strength of the relationship between the two institutions.
“Our TCC-Taiwan Sister School Program represents one of the very best global education opportunities at TCC,” said Dr. Jeanne O'Kon, Program Chair, Division of History and Social Sciences, who also heads TCC's involvement in the summer program. “Now for the first time, seven of our students will share in this wonderful opportunity. They will reside with Taiwanese host families and will interact with Taiwanese high school students, teaching them English and traveling with them for four weeks. We are very proud of both our American and Taiwanese students, all of whom will benefit tremendously from this great experience!”
For more information on TCC's Sister School Partnership, contact Dr. Jeanne O'Kon by phone, (850) 201-8146, or email okonj@tcc.fl.edu.
