Preparation at South China Normal University

After a few days of exploring Guangzhou, making a surprise trip to Shenzhen, and planting trees in the mountains, it’s finally time to get to work. Our home base of operation is South China Normal University, which is in the Tianhe district of Guangzhou, and we’ve been flattered by how much we’ve been welcomed by both staff and faculty.

Megan and Matt at SCNU’s west gate

Our workload is setting up to be pretty ambitious, but we’re really excited about the opportunities we may have. Just today we were informed that we’re likely going to be speaking in a program for Chinese guidance counselors that’s sponsored by the US Embassy in Beijing, and there’s a possibility that we’ll be giving presentations to elite high school students in Guangxi, Hainan, or Fujian province about the college choice process.

A statue of Confucius and his followers on SCNU’s campus.

We’re also really thrilled about our beautiful facilities here. Our office space is fantastic by any standards, and it’s a great place to do group work. It also boasts arguably the most comfortable couch in all of Guangzhou.

Our work zone, full of Vanderbilt paraphernalia

All in all, there’s a lot of work to be done, but we’re excited to be doing it.

-Brad and the Guangzhou 3