Hi everyone! My name is Victoria, and I am an Ambassador at School for a Village. I was born in Maryland but grew up in Beijing, and later moved back to the U.S. and am now a sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill. Aside from residency, I have also traveled internationally for educational purposes. In high school, I participated in an exchange program where I lived and attended a local school in Quilmes, Argentina for three weeks. There, I gained a deep appreciation for Argentinian culture and the Spanish language. I have also traveled to a small town called Ningde in Fujian, China—the town lacked proper educational resources for students, so I volunteered to teach English and American culture there. 

While teaching in Ningde, I gained a new perspective on educational volunteer work. Previously, I felt uncertain if my individual acts could make any long-lasting impacts. After participating in the volunteer program all my doubts left without a trace—my students were curious, enthusiastic, and eager to hear every word I had to teach. They raced to participate in class activities and games; they asked questions in and outside of our lessons; they finished their assignments on time and with evident effort. I realized that a little goes a long way when it comes to youth education, a small glimpse of new knowledge will drive them to a series of further exploration. I was touched by their curiosity and energy, and they inspired me to work harder as their teacher to provide them with more engaging and informational lessons.

After my trip to Ningde, I longed to keep helping children in need of educational resources, so I joined School for a Village. S4V incorporates the peer tutoring method familiar to me and takes it a step further by providing technology and other resources to meet the specific needs of our partner schools. I hope to contribute to S4V’s efforts with my peer tutoring experience and by spreading awareness about their missions through blog posts and fundraising for their projects. Through working for S4V’s missions, I know I am making a long-lasting positive impact and I am rewarded through joy and fulfillment.