At CIBU we have students from all over the world, our most valued characteristic is our students and the elements which make them so diverse adding to the total environment of our institution. To view other CIBU student profiles visit the student profiles section of our website.
Vanessa is one of CIBU’s TESOL students from Nantou, Taiwan, her major is Applied English at National Chin-Yi University. One of Vanessa’s many accomplishments and skills is her success with her musical abilities. She started playing a few years ago when she started going to college and found people to play music with. Some of her main influences are Taylor Swift, Avril Lavigne, and Beyonce. She has performed in public many times including a performance for CIBU students at this year’s summer welcome party and she also made it through three stages of Super Idol, the Taiwanese version of American Idol. Vanessa wanted to see what the judges though of her vocal and guitar skills to see how far she had progressed with her skills.
Vanessa has been exploring San Diego and taking in all of its many offerings in the last month. She really enjoys being outside in the fresh air as she commented some of her favorite places in southern California so far are Coronado Island, Disney Land, and Balboa park. As far as new cuisine she has tried in San Diego Vanessa really enjoys Mexican, American, and Italian food. One thing Vanessa has done to become more familiar with American culture and improve her English is watching movies and TV shows trying to imitate the accents. Vanessa hopes to teach in other countries after she finishes up her TESOL certificate program. To read more about Vanessa and the things she likes about CIBU keep reading.
Here are a few songs performed by Vanessa at the CIBU Summer Welcome Party:
Some more questions Q & A from Vanessa:
Where are you from?
I’m from Nantou, Taiwan. I’ve stayed here for a month so far.
What do you like most about San Diego?
Beautiful nature is well presented here. I breathe in fresh air every single day. In addition, I’ve tasted a lot of food here, including Mexican, Italian, and American food. It’s really amazing that I can experience three cultures at the same time.
What are your hobbies?
I love playing music instruments (guitar, piano), singing, and write songs. I also enjoy reading novels.
What degree are you working on and what is your major?
I’m actually working on the TESOL Program. The most I need is experience from practicum which CIBU provides me a lot. My major in Taiwan, National Chin-Yi University, is Applied English.
How did you hear about CIBU?
The first I heard about CIBU was from the information that the Office of International Affairs of my college offered.
What do you want to do when you are done with school?
I’ll return to college in Taiwan and finish my senior year. And I might begin the preparation of applying a graduate school.
What do you miss most about home?
Although the life I spend here is pretty good and I fit quite well, I do miss my friends and family. Especially during summer vacation, all of my old friends are hanging out but I can’t.
What do you like most about CIBU?
CIBU is almost like a big family that people are getting along with one another. The professors not only teach us the knowledge from textbooks, but let us learn from practicum. On the other hand, we’re able to meet with international students and get a chance to exchange cultures and life experience.
What’s your favorite food, musician, and actor?
My favorite food: Dessert is my favorite. Besides, I love some of the Taiwanese dishes, but in fact, I enjoy exotic food a lot. Macaroni and Mexican food are ones of my favorite.
Musicians: I love all kinds of music. (ex. Avril Lavigne, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Christina Aguilera, Black Eye Peas, Paramore…)
Actors: Kiera Kightly, Johnny Depp, Alex Pettyfer, Amanda Seyfried