Chinese Concentration

Daniela Martinez

What inspired you to choose your major and/or minor?

  I have always enjoyed learning new languages, I've spoken Spanish my whole life and began taking French courses in high school. After having the opportunity to spend six weeks in Chengdu, China through the National Security Language Initiative for Youth program, I realized that I wanted to continue studying Mandarin in college. I chose Global Affairs as my second major because I wanted to apply my language studies to a field that would allow me to make a global impact, and I decided that Mason's programs would allow me to combine these interests well. 

What has been your favorite class so far at Mason?

  There are too many to pick from! However, my top three have been GOVT 347 International Security, CHIN 480 Fourth Year Chinese, and FREN 390 Fashion Food and Finance. Each of these classes has allowed me to delve into different areas of interest, and they showed me a lot of the best that the Schar School and MCL Department have to offer.

Who has been your favorite professor so far at Mason?

  My favorite professor has been Dr. Michael Hunzeker. I've taken GOVT 347 International Security and GOVT 346 American Security Policy with him. While there's a ton of readings, he introduces topics in security studies in an engaging and immersive way, and you can tell that he deeply cares about the success of his students. I also served as an Undergraduate Research Assistant on his Undergraduate Research Assistant Program project, "Mapping the Cross Strait Military Balance." While on that project, I was able to use my Chinese language skills to support the creation of a map that outlines important civilian and military infrastructure that could be important in the case of an armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait. He has also helped me make connections in Washington D.C. that have been invaluable to me, and I am so grateful for him and the support he has offered me for over two years now.

What are you most excited about for this academic year?

  I'm excited for my CHIN 480 class with Dr. Jianfei Chen, along with my newfound flexibility to hold internships in DC. Dr. Chen's Fourth-Year Chinese class focuses on current debates in China and the wider world, of which my classmates and I have been allowed to choose. The topics we have covered thus far have related to cultural debates on national symbols, and soft power. I'm looking forward to practicing speaking and listening in the context of more political topics. Because of the flexibility in my course schedule this year, I am also currently interning at the Global Taiwan Institute, a policy tank focused on producing research regarding Taiwan and its relationships with other countries. I'm enjoying this opportunity to make connections in the policy field and publish articles of my own!

What are your career goals after graduating from Mason?

  I hope to work as a policy researcher, likely with the State Department, that looks at China's foreign policy with the US, Europe, and Taiwan. Through my work, I would like to encourage policymakers to focus on collaboration and healthy competition with China in order to reduce global tensions that seem to be evolving daily. Before then, I hope to complete a Masters degree, and am in the process of applying for fellowships to obtain this degree abroad. 

What has been your most meaningful experience in the Department of Modern & Classical Languages so far?

  Being able to study abroad through my involvement with MCL. The Chinese Department has connections to the Taipei Education and Culture Office in D.C. Their collaboration has provided me and other Mason Chinese students the opportunity to study abroad at National Sun Yat-Sen University with a Huayu BEST scholarship. This experience helped me finally go to Taiwan after trying for years, while learning Mandarin and making friends, both from Mason and from other parts of the world. I wouldn't have had this experience without the advice and hard work from MCL, and I'm so grateful to them for facilitating this program.

What does learning a new language and culture mean to you? 

  Every time I’ve begun learning a new language, I tend to learn about it through making friends and trying food. Growing up in a Honduran household, I have always connected to my Latina roots the most through speaking Spanish with my mom and making pupusas. Throughout my study of French, my fondest memories are from making crepes or french onion soup with my classmates. While in Taiwan, I loved going to night markets with my classmates and learning the names of food by ordering in Mandarin. Whenever I have engaged with a new culture, I feel welcomed into a new community that I never would have been part of had I not decided to learn that culture’s language.

What is your favorite thing to do in your free time and/or what (if any) campus activities do you enjoy engaging in at Mason?

  I like to sew, knit, and crochet! I tend to design outfits based on my interests (I recently made my outfit for my Taylor Swift Eras Tour show). Before I lugged my sewing machine from home to Virginia, I often went to the MIX, or Mason Innovation Exchange, to use their resources. I also go to events for the Chinese Cultural Club, an RSO that other Chinese students and I founded to create a space for anybody to learn about Chinese culture. Every Thursday afternoon, you can also find me assisting with the Chinese Brush Painting class put on by the Department. It's a great way to destress after a long week of studying!