My name is Petria Denisa Andreea (曲沛涵), and I come from a country in the eastern part of Europe, called Romania. Ever since I was a child, I have had a genuine curiosity about other cultures and a strong desire to explore the world. My path first crossed with China six years ago, when I participated in an international volunteer activity in my small hometown. During this experience, I was honored to meet volunteers from China. I was deeply moved by the warmth and friendship of the Chinese people, and I was fascinated by their rich culture. It felt like destiny, a moment that inspired me to define my next steps in life.
After that, I decided to pursue a Bachelor's Degree in Chinese Language and Literature at Babeș-Bolyai University. During my studies, I worked hard to learn the Chinese language and to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese history, literature, and philosophy. I also participated to many cultural activities, the most memorable one being the “Chinese Bridge” competition, where I performed a traditional Chinese dance for the first time. After graduating, I was determined to pursue my Chinese dream. With the support of my teachers, I was honored to receive a scholarship from the Confucius Institute and came to Zhejiang University of Science and Technology for a one-year Chinese language program.
My life in China came with many opportunities to cultivate myself. As the classes began, I was placed in the advanced class of Chinese language. Although the classes were slightly challenging at first, I was gradually able to adapt to the academic environment, which offered many practical methods to improve my Chinese learning. The relationship I developed with my teachers and my classmates felt close like a family, and we worked hard to achieve results, gaining the value of 业精于勤 – excellence comes from diligence. Thereby, I consistently pushed myself to excel, passing the HSK Level 5 exam.
For the next stage of my academic journey, I chose to continue my studies in China by pursuing a Master’s program in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language. This transition from an international setting to daily study and teamwork with Chinese classmates, encouraged me to speak Chinese more bravely and naturally. My professors and my classmates have guided me how to truly appreciate Chinese traditions, values and social culture, and I saw the language from a new perspective, not only as a learner, but also as a future teacher.
For me, China has been a wonderful journey of self-discovery, growth, and learning. Life here has taught me how to adopt a different perspective towards the world, to open my heart to other cultures, and to embrace the unique background of each individual. In every person I met, I found warmth, kindness, meaningful life stories, and understanding. I traveled through both ancient and modern cities of China, communicated with locals, and discovered the true meaning of discipline, respect, and unity. Following the dream I had since childhood, I can now proudly say: 如愿以偿 — my wish has come true.
After graduation, my long-term goal is to become a Chinese professor, spreading the richness of the Chinese language and culture to the world. I hope to inspire students to explore China’s history and literature, and to broaden their perspective by cultivating intercultural understanding. My advice for future students is: Have a genuine interest in learning and exploring. Be kind, stay open to others, and never give up on your dreams. Sometimes life will take you down an unexpected path, but if you stay focused and true to your goals, you'll always get closer to what you hope to achieve. Thank you for taking the time to read about my journey.
