Morehead State junior volleyball student-athlete Laura McDermott has been on a lot of trips in her lifetime, but her latest one this summer might rank as her most memorable.
McDermott travelled for 3½ weeks in May to Nanning, China and Guanxi University (GXU) with MSU Assistant Professor of Education Dr. Kimberely Nettleton. She assisted Nettleton with a series of lectures on American education and culture. She also visited elementary and middle schools, helping set up partnerships for student exchange programs and opportunities for future MSU education majors to teach in their schools.
Culminating more than a decade's relationship with the Chinese institution, MSU's Office of International Education has set up an American Cultural Center at GXU. More than 30 visiting scholars from GXU came to MSU in 2012. A number of Chinese students also studied abroad at Morehead State, and several MSU students and faculty have travelled to China to work with and study with students at GXU and surrounding schools.
Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Southern China, located about five hours northeast of the Vietnam border.
"The overall experience was amazing," McDermott said. "It was so eye opening to experience a different culture and be immersed in it. The most memorable part was the people I met. We were in contact with so many great and helpful people. They were so caring to us, and I honestly made some good friends while I was there. I am even still emailing one of the students I met there to help him get a better feel for America because someday soon he would love to come study here."
McDermott also worked at the Xianjing College (a branch of GXU), helping the English major students prepare for a news report competition. She also assisted at MinLe Primary School and the GXU Middle School.
"It was also amazing to represent Morehead State overseas," McDermott added. "Many students we encountered have heard of MSU or have even studied here for a semester. They were so excited to hear more about our school and town, and I was honored to be the one to tell them about it. It was also a great way to represent my team. Many people were excited and impressed that I played volleyball for MSU."
While a majority of her time was spent on academics, McDermott was afforded a few opportunities to tour the Chinese landscape. She visited Quinxui Mountain, which is a park and temple in Nanning, and took a boat tour on the Li River to Yangshou. The waterway, noted for its karst mountains, is featured on the 20-yuan bill (yuan is the Chinese currency).
"The trip was a very humbling experience," McDermott said. "It made me really appreciate some of the freedoms and comforts of life we have in the United States that they don't have in China. It also made me value my relationships with people a lot more and truly showed me how lucky and blessed I am."
McDermott, in her fourth year at MSU, was the 2011 Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year. In two seasons, she has 194 total blocks. McDermott hit nearly .300 during OVC matches last season. She has helped the Eagles to three straight OVC championships, 52 conference victories and a nation-best 24-match winning streak in 2012.
The Eagles open the 2013 campaign against Tennessee on Aug. 30 at the Cincinnati Invitational.
