大家好! (Dà jīa hǎo) Hello everyone! My name is Attyat Mayans and my Chinese name is Méi Jìngqīu (梅静秋). I am 22 years old and from Santa Fe, New Mexico. My mother’s family has been in New Mexico since before it was part of the U.S., Mexico, or Spain, and my father is from Uruguay, so I grew up speaking Spanish and being exposed to different cultures. I studied at Duke University in North Carolina, double-majoring in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and cultural anthropology. At Duke, I got my first chance to travel outside of the U.S. when I studied Mandarin in Beijing. I absolutely loved it, and began learning more about Chinese culture, languages and history.
After writing my honors thesis about the evolution of education in China, I wanted to do a more in-depth study on the topic, so I applied for and received a U.S. Fulbright Grant. I have been living in Shanghai where I do research at a top-performing public high school. I aim to understand how students decide which track to study, how teaching methods differ and what this tells me about educational and societal values in Shanghai. After my grant ends, I will keep doing research about China in the Ph.D. program in anthropology at Boston University.
I am excited to share my experiences with you all and look forward to your questions!
Want to learn how you could be a Fulbright Scholar like me? The Fulbright Program is the United States government's flagship international exchange program. Fulbrighters foster mutual understanding between the United States and partner nations, share knowledge across communities, and improve lives around the world. Learn more by clicking here!
