Echoes from a Diary
Keywords:
first-generation college, higher education, China, international students, study abroadAbstract
In a series of journal-styled entries, Xin Fan documents her educational journey beginning with her 10-year-old literary-inspired dreams to see the world beyond her small Chinese village to her eventual admission into a doctoral program at Durham University. Her narrative reveals certain challenges facing international students in pursuit of their higher education dreams, while highlighting the qualities of resilience, persistence, intellectual drive, and imagination that contribute to first-gen student success.