I never imagined that my first international trip would be to Japan, but less than a year after learning about the Japan American Student Conference (JASC), I was handing over my passport to a gate agent.

My journey with China began in 2009 when I first started studying Mandarin, thanks to my mom encouraging me to learn the language.

Hearing from my Japanese community comments like, “Because of you, I will see Black people much differently,” it became clear to me that encouraging more young Black men and women to engage internationally could lead to more positive perceptions and fewer stereotypes.

Through NABEA I learned about the American Mandarin Society’s African American China Leadership Fellowship which has paired me with my incredible mentor, Terri Batch, and allowed me to connect with other Black China scholars.