Katie, Emma and Lingyan: A Journey of Self-discovery
If you ask around on campus about the new MSW cohort, people would probably tell you that “they are really special”. “Special how?” You might wonder. In their chats with the Office of Graduate and Advanced Education, Katie Zheng, Emma Roberts-Vaurio and Lingyan Tu, three students from the ninth cohort shared their unique stories and experiences in the program.
Katie Zheng: Connecting and Engaging
Zheng studied international relations and global health as an undergrad, envisioning a future in health policy, administration, or business. Fate, however, had a different plan when she landed a job as a health advocate in New York. “The role was a lot more patient-facing than I thought and I realized how much I enjoyed one-on-one interactions with my patients, getting to know them and building rapport.” Zheng reminisced. Encouraged by mentors, many of them licensed clinical social workers, who recognized her unique ability to forge connections and her longtime passion in helping people, Zheng began to look seriously into the world of social work.
That was when she came across the Shanghai-New York MSW program offered by NYU Silver and NYU Shanghai. “This program is perfect for someone like me, who is Chinese American and has a foot in both worlds. I didn’t apply anywhere else”. With her parents residing in Shanghai, Zheng was excited to be in a track where she could really practice her Chinese, study social work in Shanghai and spend time with her family. “Being in this program has been a healing journey for me to be able to immerse myself in Chinese culture and embrace who I am.”
Zheng held dear the open and loving environment this cohort created and fostered. “This cohort is a supportive space where diverse experiences are embraced and shared openly.” Zheng, as the only American student fully conversant in both Chinese and English, played an active part in weaving between the groups and bridging the gaps between languages and cultures. “One thing that is really beautiful is that although we are different, there are no sides. We are one diverse big family.” Zheng pointed out.
Beyond the classroom, Zheng's engagement extended to the volleyball court, where she played for the NYU Shanghai volleyball team, earning the nickname “Team Mom”. “The team had a lot of undergrad students who were a lot younger than me and I often brought snacks for them.” Zheng encouraged graduate students to reach out more to the undergraduate community in the future, “Sometimes we are concerned about the age difference, so we are reluctant. But from my experiences, they were so welcoming, nice, sweet and open. It’s definitely worth a try.”
Emma Roberts-Vaurio: Exploring the Intersections
Emma Roberts-Vaurio was an experienced fitness coach before joining the program. During her time in the fitness industry, she came to the realization that mind and body were closely connected. “I noticed that issues like anxiety and depression often come with bodily symptoms such as feeling tired and sweaty palms.” Intrigued by the phenomenon, Roberts-Vaurio began to explore spaces where mental and physical health converged. The search led her to the world of social work, where she discovered a crossroads of professionals—social workers, counselors, physical therapists, and personal trainers, all collaborating on complex issues involving both mental and physical health, trauma and PTSD, for instance.
Roberts-Vaurio found resonance in the broad spectrum of opportunities that the MSW program could offer. “I also appreciate the values and ethics that this program and social work as a field emphasizes in terms of social justice, racial justice and equity. These really spoke to me.” Roberts-Vaurio opined, citing her own experiences living in the United States during the pandemic era as well as her upbringing and identity as a Chinese American transracial adoptee. “Another key factor why I joined this program was the Shanghai component”, Roberts-Vaurio added, “This would be the first time I returned to China since my adoption at 13 months old. I looked forward to seeing what type of connection I could build with China.”
As a Chinese American transracial adoptee, Roberts-Vaurio brought with her a unique perspective in the study and field placement at Fudan International School. Her experiences resonated with the challenges faced by many people with different stripes, navigating issues of identity, connection to roots, and the complexities of multicultural backgrounds. In her engagement with the NYU Shanghai community, a diverse and international one, Roberts-Vaurio further explored the intersections of identity and belonging and witnessed how gaps between various cultural narratives were bridged.
Roberts-Vaurio credited the Office of Graduate and Advanced Education for organizing meaningful student life events. “I really like the pumpkin carving and the river cruise on the Bund. We bonded with each other and with Shanghai, the city.” She reminisced, adding that the events had not only provided moments of joy but also opportunities for cultural exchange, enhancing the overall learning experience.
Lingyan Tu: “My choice, my path”
Lingyan Tu saw her life as a journey of continuous self-discovery. For the first thirty years of her life, she found herself in a constant state of going with the flow, simply attending exams after exams, achieving acceptable results, and doing other things she was assigned. “OK, I did pass numerous exams, but I still don’t have the slightest idea what I really want in life.” But this time, things were different. Joining the MSW program was something Tu chose to do rather than something she felt she should do. The shift built up huge stress. “I was overwhelmed for a while because I felt very strongly about committing fully and doing well. This is not for anyone else; this is for me.” She recalled.
Tu’s field placement didn’t quite fall within her comfort zone. Although she was a veteran case manager in the social work realm in the US, her placement at Shanghai Mental Health Center leaned heavily toward the clinical side. “It’s a lot of work but I consider myself very fortunate to get to delve into the clinical field in the first semester of the program as clinical work is something I would like to pursue in the future.” Tu opined. One key challenge lying before Tu was the gap between her limited knowledge at the current stage and what real daily work might require. Although some theories and techniques had already been covered in class, actual cases in her field placement were not short of unpredictability and spontaneity. “They pushes me to learn in practice. I read a ton of books and make up whatever is lacking in my knowledge”. Tu also commended her field placement for allowing her to directly put into practice the things she learned in the classroom. “I was grateful for the opportunity to apply concepts and techniques such as active listening, analyzing nonverbal language, and building trust to real engagement with patients.”
It so happened that Tu’s daughter started kindergarten the same day she started her MSW program. This took her on a brand new journey of being a student while being a parent of another student. “It’s challenging and rewarding at the same time. We both have to evolve and learn to spend time away from each other”, Tu remarked, “But I’m so glad we are buddies in our new adventures!”
Zheng, Roberts-Vaurio and Tu are all contemplating a future in clinical work, citing their passion to help people. The night is still young and a lot more adventures await. The next chapter of their journey of self-discovery is merely just unfolding.
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