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Ina Hendrioa Schoeman 伊娜 , South Africa, 45 years old

The divorced working mother of two had spent most of her life thinking of the needs of other people – principally about the care of her two children.  Now that they had reached the ages of 18 & 25 Ina decided it was time to do something for herself.  Having always loved to write now it was time to get that university degree she had delayed to raise her family.  And, she found a program that would give her not JUST a B.A., with a business major, but would also see that she could be taught to read, write and speak Chinese.  Plus, doing all that for FREE - Full Scholarship, through the Kainan University International Honors Program.

Ina followed her older sister and brother-in-law, who had come from South Africa to teach English in Taiwan – and stayed eight years!  She tried the same route, but found herself denied, due to lacking a degree.  Knowing Taiwan to be a pleasant enough place from her sister’s long sojourn, Ina resolved to turn around that situation AND stay in Taiwan – and she was accepted at Kainan.

How does she find Taiwan?  Like all of the students we spoke to the word, again & again, is “friendly”!  She talked about the many ways people have gone out of their way to help her, and she mentioned one unique point – feeling safe: no matter what types of people she meets, from farmboy to physician, neighbor to night market vendor she says she always feel comfortable.

How does she find living on campus in the dorms?  That part…she skipped.  With the help of the school she has been able to secure her own apartment adjacent to the university, for less than $180.00 per month!

Today, she finds herself working hard.  Challenged at having to approach classes that could daunt even the eighteen-est of eighteen year-olds, she spends her time studying – and learning. 

Despite the challenges some people might see in starting a degree program she says she is determined to make a success of it.