Senior from The Albany Academies Spends One Year in China

ALBANY, NY (11/02/2007)(readMedia)-- Adam Century of Troy, NY, a senior at The Albany Academies, has had a high school experience like few others.

Century, the current Co-President of the school’s Model United Nations Club, spent one year between his sophomore and junior years living in China, and also went back there this past summer.

Born in the Canadian Rockies, Century came to this country when he was 13 years old; a couple years later, he decided he wanted to learn about another culture.

“I wanted to go to China because the country is the future, whether it’s in terms of the economy, the military, etc.,” said Century.

He got involved with AFS, an international, nonprofit organization that provides intercultural learning opportunities for people. Century stayed with a host family for 11 months from 2005-2006 in Nanjing, China, 200 kilometers west off the coast of Shanghai. While he was there, he attended high school with his peers and took intensive language classes with one of the teachers in the school.

Century arrived in Nanjing with only a pocket translator and no real knowledge of the language. He says it was very difficult to learn Mandarin at first, but once he got the ball rolling it started coming to him much easier.

High school in China was very different than what he had experienced back in the U.S., as classes were held six days per week for 10 hours a day with 60 students per class. Century says the school day was organized and coordinated much differently than in the U.S., and he was struck by the amount of academic pressure in China.

By about the halfway point of the year, he was going to morning classes and then taking private, intensive classes for Mandarin outside the school. He also became an ESL English teacher, which was a good way to make money on the side and give back at the same time.

Century taught English for New Oriental School, which is the biggest English-teaching corporation in China. He was teaching in the afternoon about four times per week, and made enough money to take a trip while in China to Tibet in May 2006.

While Century was in China, he got involved with the Model United Nations club as a way to use his oral skills to communicate in a diplomatic way. He attended a Model United Nations Conference held in Peking University, where he received the award for Best UN Delegate by the President of Merrill Lynch.

Century left his host family in July 2006 and came back to the Academies for his junior year. He then had an impromptu meeting with Madame Keegan, World Languages Chair for The Albany Academies, where he met the founder and managing director of China Prep, an experiential education business that provides small groups of U.S. students with dynamic, learning experiences in China.

Century was hired by China Prep to produce four ethnographic films this past summer in China. The videos – which are available online at www.chinaprep.com – depict four different sectors of Chinese youth culture that he was involved in and became interested in: environmental protection, hip hop, basketball and consumerism.

Each film runs for about 5-10 minutes and features interviews with his friends about how they are affected by these topics. Century conducted all of the interviews and directed all of the films. He was in Shanghai mostly, but also spent time in Beijing and Nanjing.

“China Prep really helped me to take the next step in my understanding and perception of China, its culture, and its social environment,” said Century. “The incredible team that I was fortunate to be able to work with had an enormous effect on my development in that sphere.”

Century came back to the U.S. two days before school started. He plans to go back to China next year to attend the 2008 Olympics.

Century, who can read and write French, English and Chinese, and speak Nanjing dialect, has been thinking about learning another language. He is also applying to a variety of collges such as Williams College, Wesleyan College, Brown, Princeton and the University of Toronto.

Century works for the Troy Sea Horses, where he serves as a lifeguard and teacher, and is a member of the Boys Varsity Soccer team.

He says his international travels have given him a truly global view of the world and have taught him a lot about himself. While he loves Canada and this country, he feels that he has a unique connection with China.

“If I had to say a place where I really feel at home and feel comfortable, I would have to say Nanjing,” said Century. “I know the city really well and speak the local dialect.”

Students like Adam Century clearly demonstrate the values of leadership and service that are instilled in all members of the Academies family.

The Albany Academies is home to the two campuses of The Albany Academy (West Campus) and Albany Academy for Girls (East Campus), which share a nearly 200-year-old tradition of quality, single-gender independent school education. Both campuses bring with them deeply treasured values of community, tradition, and purpose to the newly formed school known as The Albany Academies.

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Posted Friday November 02, 2007 at 12:26 pm by The Albany Academies