On Aug. 14, 19-year-old Kezchen Wang, also known as “Luna,” arrived at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport from China. She came with only a small suitcase that contained a few outfits and objects from home that hold meaning. Among these objects were: a stuffed animal pig that brings a sense of “bravery.” And it certainly was need for Luna, who traveled across the world alone, knowing nobody, nor the customs, and only a little bit of English. There are other stories of emigrants who have had the bravery to travel so far from home to have their dreams come true – indeed, there's plenty from Arizona State University alone – but this is just one story: Luna’s story.
Luna comes from the city of Wuhan. She attended the nearest university and realized she didn't like it after the first week.
“Chinese education is strict,” she says, and that she thinks the reason she didn’t enjoy it so much is because there were so many people at the universities, and it’s hard to compete with everyone else.
Both of her parents are engineers, and they gave her the idea to go to the United States for her degree, with hopes of eventually earning her Master’s and Ph.D. They settled on ASU after some thought. Luna says she was nervous at first and didn’t know what to expect. Her main concern was that nobody would understand her and she would have trouble communicating.
She has a list of things she wouldn’t leave China without: her favorite shoes her mom bought her, sunblock, cooker (her parents were worried that America didn’t have them), chapstick, a traditional Chinese herb for when you are not feeling well named Dang gui gouii, and a few of her favorite stuffed animals – one of which is the pig that she has had more than 10 years.
In her first semester at ASU, she says she has met and made many new friends and enjoys all of her classes. She declared her major, urban design; her least favorite subject is math.
“My math grade was the hardest to work on: it is shameful for Chinese students if we don’t pass it so I know how important my grades are to me,” she says. By the end of her first semester Luna’s hard work had paid off. “I got the highest GPA out of all my friends and I met my boyfriend, who is also from the same hometown as me in China. Life is magic.”
Luna’s positivity is well known. Sarah Harper, a communications junior, is her Peer Mentor in the Hassayampa dorms.
“I remember when I first met Luna I was amazed that she came here by herself with nothing. But over the course of the school year, Luna has shown me just how independent and outgoing she is," Harper says. "I remember one night in particular she shared with me her blog and it really opened my eyes to see another side of her and realize how positive she is about her life.”
One of the major differences she noticed about America is the food.
“I am very critical of what I eat,” Luna says. “I am a great cook. I like Subway much better here than back in China. With no cheese it would be perfect.” She mentions how she has gone to many of the shopping malls here, including Arizona Mills and Scottsdale Fashion Square, but she's unimpressed – China has them too. “Although there is many differences back home to here it is not big differences. I think the people here are so beautiful and ASU has the most beautiful students I have ever seen.”
Although Luna has experienced a lot of happiness in America, she's also had her fair share of challenges. She says it was hard to find her way around at first, and she kept having to ask for help because she would get lost. She even missed some basic products that were only available back home. Even though every day was a new challenge, she says it was the friendly people who made it easier to adapt.
Luna loves a good quote, and has some words of experience of her own for other foreign exchange students.
“Don’t be afraid; everything will be okay. Enjoy life. To find true happiness is through hard work.” She says people should listen to their favorite music when they get homesick, or watch a movie – just make sure it’s a comedy that will get you laughing. She also says one of her favorite quotes: “Life is not perfect, but it does not mean that it is not beautiful. The beauty of life is life itself.”
Luna is currently running a video blog about her experience in America.
Reach the reporter at cnnavarr@asu.edu
