Chen Si graduated from The Ohio State University in 2016 with a master’s degree in arts policy and management.

Today, Si is working in XinYang City, China, her hometown, as the founder of a non-traditional educational institution.

“My intention is to teach children so that they learn more about the world and increase the amount of whole-person education, including cultivating children's interest in learning with English picture books,” Si explained. “I am focused on general education in my hometown, mainly for children aged three to 12. I hope to help promote children's interest in learning through some performance techniques such as plays and picture books, which positively affect children to develop a confident and positive character in the future.”

Although Si’s undergraduate degree is in business, she was very interested in theatre and decided to merge her two passions.

“Since arts policy and administration is related to both business and art, I studied this major and minored in drama literature at Ohio State,” she said. “When I was doing my graduate studies, I found that my area of interest was not common among international students, so I had very few Chinese classmates. It provided me with more opportunities to get to know many local friends and learn about the local culture. Ohio State’s drama specialization is among the top 10 programs in the United States, featuring a world-class curriculum and charismatic teaching, which was in line with my personal preference. Drama is a mirror of life, and learning drama can also help me better understand human nature and explore myself in the future.”

Si said learning respect at Ohio State has helped her most in her career.

“Through three years of graduate study in Ohio State, I have deeply understood the local culture and realized the importance of respect,” Si noted. “My experience taught me that respect is important when people build relationships. We should start with respecting ourselves by understanding our own interests and then go forward without hesitation.”

Si advises current and incoming Ohio State students to pursue their own ideas, remember to keep going and never give up.

“Being an Ohio State student is just the beginning, and people should not feel inferior since life is still a long road,” Si reflected. “I hope that students can bravely pursue their own ideas while they are still young, instead of blindly pursuing others' or society's views of them.”