I learned a lot about the history behind Taiwan by visiting the cultural sights as well as listening to the speakers' lectures. What I learned at AIT (the de facto American embassy in Taiwan) took me by surprise because there is just so much I did not know regarding Taiwan-US relations. At the time, there were apparently plans to bring the U.S. Marines to Taiwan.
Many topics were discussed and it was very interesting to see people from different backgrounds speak so freely on their opinions. Traveling together to different sights around the island, exploring nature and all the different food really taught me to experiment and just try. I gained friendships and I was fortunate to come back the following year as an Executive Committee member.
Taiwan now has a special place in my heart. After TASC, I have had so many conversations at work, school, or networking events about topics somehow related to Taiwan. I feel like TASC is a perfect summer extracurricular for any college student because it's such an eye-opener for everyone and best part is, it's fun.
What is your favorite aspect of TASC?
I realized that TASC brings a type of people together despite their differences and that's how open-minded everyone is. We had a few unexpected changes to the itinerary such as weather conditions, but everyone was understanding. One of my favorite aspects was bringing in speakers with different perspectives and opinions on the same topic, of course different lectures, but we were able to see both sides. Overall, TASC is a 3 week experience filled with emotions, knowledge, appreciation and respect where everyone comes together as one in the end.
Chering attended TASC in 2017 and returned as an Executive Committee Member in 2018.