Recently, Lily Miller, a 6th-grade student from the East Holmes Local School District, was selected to
take part in the 2022-23 Kalamazoo Chinese Academy STARTALK Institute year-round student
engagement program, through Western Michigan University. The STARTALK Chinese Institute is fully
funded by a National Security Administration (NSA) grant. This competitive application process
involved an interview, a Chinese Language Skills assessment, and letters of recommendation. This
academy was offered to just 120 students nationwide and only 60 students have been selected to
attend the in-person 2-week Summer Camp as a part of this program. During this year-long Chinese
Academy, students will meet virtually with their instructors for each semester of instruction. In July,
Lily will attend the 2-week, in-person Summer Camp at Western Michigan University.
Lily currently takes Chinese language weekly through East Central Ohio Educational Service Center’s
Chinese Language program. Lily’s instructor, Holly Branch, meets weekly with her virtually as they
build language proficiency and fluency. It is from this experience that Lily was able to apply and be
accepted into this STARTALK Institute.

When asked about why she enjoys learning Chinese, she replied, “I get to learn about Chinese
culture and I like to learn how to communicate in a different language than the one I grew up
speaking. I also think that the Chinese characters are really interesting in the way they tell a story with
each character, and I want to get better at reading and writing them.” Additionally, she shared this; “I
would love to visit China someday! I want to be able to speak to Chinese friends and see the way that
they live. Some places that I would like to visit are Beijing, Taiwan, and Chengdu. Maybe someday I
will be able to use it in my job.”. Lily also enjoys singing, and is excited to incorporate that love of
singing into what she is learning in Chinese. She is looking forward to attending camp this summer in
order to interact and engage with other speakers of Chinese. In the future, she might also like to learn
French.

For more information about enrolling your child in a Chinese language class, please contact Michele Carlisle at 330-308-9939 x 8220.