On Pengyou Day this year, the Project Pengyou Middlebury Chapter celebrated their official launch on campus and were highlighted for their efforts in their university newspaper.

The Middlebury Chapter founders were Project Pengyou Leadership Fellows from the 2016 cohort, Ngor Luong and Sarah Scott. For Pengyou Day, they put together a panel of students who had studied in both China and the US to share their experiences.

Three of the students were Chinese international students, and three were Americans who had spent time in China.

Emma Auden, an American student on the panel noted:

“I think the work Project Pengyou does is important in breaking down cultural barriers and humanizing people of other cultures, helping connect us with other people and learn how to recognize our differences and similarities in a way that helps us better accept and understand one another,” Auden said. “I wish people could see past national boundaries and recognize human interactions for what they are.”

The Middlebury Chapter also invited students on campus share their thoughts about why US-China relations matter through white boards sharing “I’m a Pengyou because…”

We are proud that the Middlebury Chapter is starting off so strong, and we are looking forward to seeing what they will achieve in the future!