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2023 Boston in 100 Words Competition: Finalist

2023 “Impact of Exchange: Stories from U.S. Exchange Alumni” Exhibition: Featured photographs

The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs hosted an open competition for all U.S. citizen alumni of U.S.-government sponsored exchange programs. The exhibition features the photos and stories of 38 U.S. citizen exchange program alumni and their educational and cultural exchanges to more than 30 countries. “Impact of Exchange” will tour across five host cities in the United States, August 2023 through Fall 2024.


This photo was taken on September 30, 2019 at the Dragon and Tiger Pagodas on Lotus Lake in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Entering the dragon’s throat and coming out of the tiger’s mouth symbolizes turning bad luck into good fortune—but I had just wrapped up such a rewarding day of co-teaching at nearby Zuoying Elementary School, and remembered feeling so lucky that I wasn’t sure what else the universe could do for me! 

This photo was taken on December 14, 2019, along the Houjin River in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. It features Mingde Elementary School 6th graders competing in their school’s annual unicycling race. I loved serving as an ETA here and embracing the school’s unique focus on unicycling. (At recess, students would hold my hand and help me practice! Getting on a stationary unicycle is not easy.) At the race, I passed out water bottles and cheered my students on!