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Student Ambassador at Expo USA Pavilion
November 24, 2010, Wednesday
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WORKING at the World Expo was unlike anything I ever experienced. It has been my longtime dream to work in the international arena, so I felt immensely blessed that my first job out of college was to represent the United States at one of the largest assemblies of nations in history.
I am a recent graduate of the University of Southern California (USC) and served as a Student Ambassador for the USA Pavilion. My ties to Shanghai, however, go quite far back. I have been an American expatriate since I was two months old. After a series of business-related travels between New York, Singapore, Washington DC and Hong Kong, my family finally settled in Shanghai in the summer of 1997.
In 1998 I enrolled in Concordia International School Shanghai - a newly opened school with a student body of 22. Despite humble beginnings, Concordia was essential in helping me develop into a well-rounded freethinker. I was encouraged at an early age to expand my world view and explore my identity, not just as a member of a single country, but as an active global citizen. By the time I was applying for college, my heart was set on studying international relations with an emphasis on Sino-US relations.
My freshman year at USC coincided with the debut of the university's US-China Institute. I enthusiastically joined and helped launch its student-run online publication, "US-China Today." By my senior year, the institute was putting the final touches on the Student Ambassador program for the USA Pavilion and recommended me. Unlike most of my peers, who had never heard of the World Expo, I had been growing up with "Expo" since Shanghai won the bid to host it in 2002. So, receiving the offer to work at Expo was a dream come true.
I worked in the communications department of the USA Pavilion. My team and I interacted and hosted all visiting media. This included interacting with journalists and film crews, writing press releases, creating web content, and everything in-between.
Whether emceeing for exclusive ceremonies or translating for special guests, working at Expo has challenged me to exercise every skill I have been honing through my high school and college careers. Never have I had to use a combination of writing, public speaking and Chinese skills in such an organic and meaningful way. Despite our busy schedules, the work environment was fun and positive, because at the end of the day our mission at Expo was to promote healthy cultural exchange.
After the Expo, I hope to continue building my professional network in Shanghai. The wonderful thing about Expo is that it has brought together a multitude of incredibly talented and global-minded professionals. Every day, I meet new people who inspire me to explore new fields of work with an international scope. Expo is a huge accomplishment for Shanghai, but it has also shown there is much left work to do. The possibilities are endless and it will be fascinating to see the city I grew up with continue to develop into the future.
Jon Chow (left) is a former Concordia student who worked for the USA Pavilion during the World Expo 2010.
I am a recent graduate of the University of Southern California (USC) and served as a Student Ambassador for the USA Pavilion. My ties to Shanghai, however, go quite far back. I have been an American expatriate since I was two months old. After a series of business-related travels between New York, Singapore, Washington DC and Hong Kong, my family finally settled in Shanghai in the summer of 1997.
In 1998 I enrolled in Concordia International School Shanghai - a newly opened school with a student body of 22. Despite humble beginnings, Concordia was essential in helping me develop into a well-rounded freethinker. I was encouraged at an early age to expand my world view and explore my identity, not just as a member of a single country, but as an active global citizen. By the time I was applying for college, my heart was set on studying international relations with an emphasis on Sino-US relations.
My freshman year at USC coincided with the debut of the university's US-China Institute. I enthusiastically joined and helped launch its student-run online publication, "US-China Today." By my senior year, the institute was putting the final touches on the Student Ambassador program for the USA Pavilion and recommended me. Unlike most of my peers, who had never heard of the World Expo, I had been growing up with "Expo" since Shanghai won the bid to host it in 2002. So, receiving the offer to work at Expo was a dream come true.
I worked in the communications department of the USA Pavilion. My team and I interacted and hosted all visiting media. This included interacting with journalists and film crews, writing press releases, creating web content, and everything in-between.
Whether emceeing for exclusive ceremonies or translating for special guests, working at Expo has challenged me to exercise every skill I have been honing through my high school and college careers. Never have I had to use a combination of writing, public speaking and Chinese skills in such an organic and meaningful way. Despite our busy schedules, the work environment was fun and positive, because at the end of the day our mission at Expo was to promote healthy cultural exchange.
After the Expo, I hope to continue building my professional network in Shanghai. The wonderful thing about Expo is that it has brought together a multitude of incredibly talented and global-minded professionals. Every day, I meet new people who inspire me to explore new fields of work with an international scope. Expo is a huge accomplishment for Shanghai, but it has also shown there is much left work to do. The possibilities are endless and it will be fascinating to see the city I grew up with continue to develop into the future.
Jon Chow (left) is a former Concordia student who worked for the USA Pavilion during the World Expo 2010.
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