Goodrich – Jillian Zirnhelt is on a mission to study and learn just what Shanghai, China is all about.
A 2006 Goodrich High School graduate, Zirnhelt is currently a junior at Grand Valley State University in Allendale. She will study international relations and economics for a year at East China Normal University in Shanghai. It is the study abroad program for U.S. universities and the CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange) student travel organization that Zirnhelt said is making her trip possible.
Her plane will land in Beijing, and she will stay there for a week before arriving in Shanghai. ‘It will be interesting to see the Bird’s Nest Olympic Stadium and all of the new infrastructure that was built for the Olympic games.?
Zirnhelt said she wants to learn as much as she can about China to be able to bring back as much information as she can to the United States. She said her hopes are to work at the United Nations in New York.
Even though Zirnhelt has studied many books about China and enjoyed watching the summer Olympic games knowing she would be there soon, she said she still isn’t sure what a year in China will be like.
‘I really don’t know what to expect and it hard to get my mind around what I am getting myself into,? Zirnhelt said. ‘I will be going out of my comfort zone and into something I know is a communist, socialist government.?
Knowing that China is the largest country in the world, with just over 1.3 billion people, Zirnhelt said, is why she considers studying there so valuable.
‘The first thing I will do is learn Mandarin, the primary language in Shanghai,? said Zirnhelt. ‘Shanghai is so vast and is very modern compared to other cities in China, that is why I chose to study there.?
Her opinions about the business and trade agreements with China and the United States are filled with concerns. Human rights, Zirnhelt said, is still a huge problem in China. ‘The workers there are not being treated the way they should be and that is no good. Factories are 20 blocks long and the workers live in little apartments. Men have to leave their families to work and they work for hardly anything, about 50 cents a day.?
Zirnhelt said she believes China has drained the United States economy. ‘It’s true things are much cheaper here, but China has taken so many of our jobs away from us. We have lost so many manufacturing plants,? said Zirnhelt. ‘Of course it keeps our products much cheaper here.?
It has been her family that Zirnhelt credits with having a huge influence in her life. ‘My grandmother Janet is amazing,? she said. ‘She plans on visiting me in China and is so excited about my trip, she has been buying me books about China. She and my grandfather Daniel owned Jan’s Sports Shop for years.?
Zirnhelt’s father, Tim, is a school board trustee. He and wife, Janell, own Repocast in the village.
‘My family is number one,? Zirnhelt said. ‘They have been there for me. I am grateful to my parents for giving me the opportunity to travel most of Europe. They have opened my eyes to the world and I truly believe that is why I have the confidence to travel and study abroad.?