Crystal Chen

Studied abroad in China at Sichuan Normal University during Spring 2026.  

My time in China was a whirlwind of culture, academics, and adventure that will stick with me for the rest of my life. It was my first time traveling out of the country and China welcomed me with open arms! I was able to greatly improve my Mandarin skills through intensive language classes and also through casual conversations with locals. All my classes were tight-knit, and I found myself learning so much about Chinese history, different cultures/ethnic groups, and the government system. Fortunately, while my classes were interesting, I also had a lot of free time to travel around Chengdu (my host city) as well as other parts of China! Some of my travel highlights included visiting Shanghai, Zhangjiajie (the mountains where the Avatar movies were filmed), and Xi’An to visit the Terracotta warriors museum! Going abroad was such an immersive and enriching experience, and I am beyond grateful to have gotten the opportunity to do so. Reflecting on it, I feel more connected to my Chinese heritage and would strongly recommend this experience to anyone even slightly interested in it! 

Being in my senior year, thinking about my future has been on my mind for a while now. As a public health major, I intend for my Honors Thesis topic to be around my focus area of health policy and equity. I am still finalizing my topic but researching the emergence and cost-efficiency of telehealth in healthcare access post-COVID. After graduating, I am hoping to find a job working in government health and gain some professional experience in the public health field.