"I began studying Chinese as a freshman at UVM in 2007. After setting foot in China for my semester abroad, I came to realize the amazing breadth and beauty of the language and the fascinating history behind it. The more I learned, the more I understood the great importance of this language to the international community and the dynamic range of its application to the professional world. Over the years since my first Chinese class, my language studies have taken me through some of the remotest places on earth, from sipping tea with Tibetan nomads in the mountains of Qinghai, to experiencing the Sunday livestock market in China’s westernmost city Kashgar. Chinese has helped me to collaborate with judges on China’s Supreme People’s Court, provide support to political prisoners in Xinjiang, and improve factory conditions for migrant workers in Guangdong. My most recent endeavor has brought me to New York University where I am undertaking a master’s degree in translation. Given the extreme shortage of Chinese-English translators and interpreters who are native English speakers, I hope to be part of the new wave of professionals in the industry working with this language pair." - Brett Newman '11