West meets East

A person's dream job can come in various forms. One person may want to work for a big business in a large city. Another may wish to be involved in the government as a congressman or governor.

One Marshall University student is going to China to teach high school students.

James DeMarco, senior economics major from Lost Creek, W.Va., is headed across the world to pursue a job teaching English, business and Western culture to Chinese high school students at Shanghai International Studies University.

"I am going to be teaching finance and English," DeMarco said. "Last semester, I started talking to my economics teacher and he told me about this job. I did not want to graduate and just work at the local bank, so I thought this was a good opportunity to get out and have a job where I interact with people and be a part of a different culture."

DeMarco said he is excited about this opportunity and is taking it seriously. He wants to represent Marshall and his family, and he is anticipating that the job will expand his ideas of Chinese culture.

"I am looking forward to getting to interact with a new culture," DeMarco said. "I am also looking forward to actually teaching. Teaching is something that I believe is the best, and there is nothing greater that you can do with your time on Earth than to teach."

DeMarco is very passionate about teaching, and that passion comes from his belief in the Bible.   

"In Matthew 28, Jesus commanded all of his disciples to go and teach the commands that he had taught them," DeMarco said. "So this is something that certainly is told to every person, so that is why it is so important to me."

This is not the first time that DeMarco has traveled outside the U.S. for working with children.

"I went with Campus Crusade for Christ for six weeks to Kyrgyzstan," DeMarco said. "I lived there with those people and was able to interact with their culture."

DeMarco is going to China as part of the Appalachians Abroad group in China. He was referred by his economics professor Michael Newsome. Newsome said James is a great candidate.

"James is intelligent and hardworking," Newsome said. "The kind of kid that you want to go over there and teach will be one who shows an interest in international culture and international issues. He has the respect for international students and for humanity at-large as well as being intelligent."

Although this may not be considered your average, everyday job, DeMarco said he considers it to be a normal career.

"I still consider this like a normal job," DeMarco said. "I wanted a job where I could interact with people on a more dynamic basis. I didn't want to spend many years before that would happen. This is an opportunity to jump right in and interact right away."

DeMarco will be teaching students who already know English on a basic level, but he will be trying to teach the language at a more advanced level. It will be a challenge, he said it is something he is going to put a lot of effort into.

"It is a one year contract," DeMarco said. "I am not sure if I am going to renew my contract after the year is up, but it is a full-time position, and I am excited about experiencing Chinese culture."

One concern that any person would have in going to a new country is the idea of actually being alone in an unknown place. DeMarco is not concerned with that problem because he has already made some friends in China who he will be meeting when he arrives.

"I have made some good friends who live very close to the place I will be teaching," DeMarco said. "A lot of them will be going back home from Marshall after studying in the international program and also (Newsome) will be coming to see me in December. All of my friends are excited for me to be there and to show me around."

Newsome also referred DeMarco because Newsome said he feels it is a great opportunity to expand one's horizons and gain experience that one cannot get anywhere else.

"You are going to find out about yourself," Newsome said. "You are taking yourself out of your box and you are seeing what the world is like outside of that box, so it changes who you are completely. When James comes back, he will think about the world differently and he will know about more opportunities than he will ever know right now."

China is a long way from Lost Creek, W.Va., and DeMarco's family, particularly his mother, is a little worried about her son being so far away for an entire year.

"My dad is happy for me and all for it," DeMarco said. "My mother is happy for me too, but just like any worried mom, she is nervous about me leaving, and I think she would have rather me work at the bank."

When asked what the biggest concern was about heading to a foreign country, DeMarco said it was the language barrier. Communication is vital when in a foreign land, and DeMarco has not yet learned the language.

"I don't know the language," DeMarco said. "I am not fluent in Mandarin Chinese, so initially it is going to be difficult for me to understand the culture."

When the year has come to an end and DeMarco is evaluating his time in China, he said there is one goal that he hopes to accomplish.

"I want my students to have a better understanding of English," DeMarco said. "I hope that they also have a better understanding of American culture. Those two are very important to me."

Troy Hemingway can be contacted at hemingway@marshall.edu.