Six Years Later: From "Doing It All" to Enjoying the Moment

2019年2月我們與韓國大邱的慶北國立大學附屬中學簽訂成為姊妹校，同年10月第一次接待KNUMS師生的來訪。那時我無比緊張、壓力巨大，深怕錯過任何一個小細節就可能會出一個大包。6年後，我發現我有愈來愈多時候享受當下、只需陪同姊妹校的師長們及出一張嘴就好，因為學校的隊友們太強大了....

What a week! I’m still buzzing from the energy of hosting our friends from Korea for the 2025 KMJH-KNUMS Educational Exchange. From the opening ceremony performances to the bubble tea workshop, it was just… wonderful.

But as I watched the closing ceremony, I had this flash of memory.

Back in 2019, when we first started this partnership, I was terrified. I felt this tremendous pressure to make it perfect. I was told the Academic Office would be busy, which I heard as the hidden message: "Don't you dare bother to ask us for help."

I wanted this sister school partnership to happen so badly that I was willing to go the extra mile, which meant doing almost everything single-handedly. I was recruiting host families, designing eight different cultural classes, and coordinating the ceremonies. I was exchanging frantic messages with my Korean counterpart every day, terrified that one missed detail could lead to a disaster.

Now, fast forward six years.

This year, I found myself "only paying lip service" most of the time—accompanying our guests, translating, and just... enjoying the moments. Why? Because I was surrounded by a team. The Academic Office, the Student Affairs Office, homeroom teachers, the PTA, and our amazing student clubs were all helping create fond memories for our Korean friends.

That change didn't happen overnight. It was a journey from "me" to "we," and it’s where I found the real magic of this program. The turning point was realizing that for this partnership to be sustainable, it had to be shared. It couldn't just be "my" project. It had to become "our" school's project. I had to let go of doing everything myself and start inviting people in.

When I was running around stressed, I missed these things. Now, I get to see them:

• I saw students in the Chinese Orchestra lesson, hesitant at first, suddenly "a lot less shy" as they worked together to create a single sound.
• I watched my 7th graders bravely lead the comic workshop, and then saw the "KK Sisters" (as I love to call them) collaborate on their own four-panel comics about their Taiwan adventure.
• I got to hear the host parents stand up at the end, one by one, to share their reflections in English.

That is the "why."