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Cadets share their own unique thoughts about making a decision to learn Mandarin Chinese at SJNMA
t SJNMA, we offer Mandarin Chinese to cadets in order to prepare them for a rapidly growing, globalized world. Our purpose is to engage cadets in learning Chinese and enhance their opportunities for further study and career advancement after they graduate. SJNMA cadets have their own unique thoughts when it comes to making a decision to learn Chinese language. The most common ones include: challenging class, enhance bilingual language skills, career opportunities, business advantages, understanding Chinese culture, family roots, learning more about Chinese history, study abroad, and travel to China. Ping Braatz, Chinese language instructor, still remembers the Chinese class group picture in 2008, which was the first time Chinese was offered at SJNMA. Eight years later in 2016, she received an email from one former cadet from that class who asked about our current Chinese class. He expressed how grateful he was to have Chinese as a class offering and shared pleasant memories about his Chinese learning. Many cadet stories have been shared with Mrs. Braatz over the years. After attending SJNMA, these cadets had confidence, persistent desires, abilities, and opportunities to connect to the Chinese language and culture, which is largely spoken and used in the world. Jorge Sierra 2010 went to Tecnológico de Monterrey for university study. She met him at a TABS conference a couple years ago when he was studying abroad in Shanghai, China. Joseph Miller 2011 enrolled into the University of Mississippi with a full scholarship for five years that included one year study abroad in Nanjing, China. Charles Hernandez 2011 graduated from Georgetown University and later graduated from the United States Army Airborne School. Hernandez met with SJNMA cadets in Silver Rifles at Fort Benning, Georgia, in November 2016 and spoke fluent Chinese with the Chinese-speaking cadets. Right before he graduated from SJNMA, Dennis Blatt 2011 passed the HSK Chinese proficiency exam, which met the language requirement to be able to enroll at Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China, in 2012. He received his undergraduate degree and master’s degree. Currently, he is admitted to Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, China, for a doctoral degree program in the Science of Law. Jin-Han Jun 2013 went to Michigan State University, Kang Ryul Min 2014 went to the University of California Berkeley, and Jae Yeon Seo 2016 went to Florida Institute of Technology. All three alumni started their Chinese characters learning when they were very young ages in Korea and continued their Chinese learning until graduation from SJNMA. Jackie Huang 2015 took Chinese class for two years at SJNMA. He takes a weekly Chinese class at Tippie School of Business at the University of Iowa, and he has made friends with students from Taiwan and China. Paddy Zheng 2015, former First Captain at SJNMA, is currently studying at the United States Military Academy at West Point, and has been selected to study abroad at Beijing University in China. The family of William Johnson, a former one-year cadet, shared great news of his acceptance to West Point in fall 2016, and expressed thanks to SJNMA. Johnson engaged in Chinese language at SJNMA and will minor in Chinese at West Point.
ABOVE: Cadet Zachary Wiberg 2017 BELOW: Cadet Yoon Jae Kim 2017
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These are just some examples of how cadets have continued their Chinese language and culture journey. For information about our Chinese program, contact Ping Braatz at pbraatz@sjnma.org. As we celebrate graduation, two current cadets share their Chinese class experiences. St. John’s Northwestern Military Academy | THE BEACON