½üÈÕ£¬宝盈娱乐appÍâ¼®½ÌʦMelissa Kay Smith½ÓÊÜChina Daily²É·Ã£¬Ô­ÎÄÈçÏ£º

An American educator resides in a quiet Chinese city owing to her love of teaching, Liu Xiangruireports in Yinchuan.

Having spent about three years in the early 1990s teaching English to the residents of Yinchuancity in Northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Melissa Kay Smith had grown fondenough of China to return in 2004 after acquiring a doctoral degree in education from the UnitedStates.

Since then, the 48-year-old, who was raised in the US state of Indiana, has called Yinchuan hernew "hometown".

Smith is today an associate professor of English at Ningxia University, where she teachesgraduate students and sometimes also trains teachers from local schools.

"So, it feels like my home," says Smith, adding jokingly that she cannot bear any criticism ofYinchuan, which in quietness matches her own personality.

Her contribution to Ningxia's education has been recognized by the central government.

Last year, she received the Friendship Award, China's top honor for foreign residents whocontribute substantially to the country's development in different fields.

In 1991, Smith first came to China as part of an educational program to train local teachers in thesouthern Hainan province. She then worked in Beijing and Changchun city in the country'snortheast for some time before going to Yinchuan in 1993.

Three years later, she returned to the US for further studies and completed her doctorate from theUniversity of Illinois in 2002.

Now, she speaks fluent Chinese and uses her Chinese name, Shi Meichun, most of the times.Smith loves to read while not working or baking, which is her favorite hobby, she says.

Over the years, she has also built a large collection of things that reflect traditional Chineseculture, including several pieces of old cupboards.

She is happy to be around children and has placed piles of books in her living room for them,often inviting children from the neighborhood to storytelling sessions in Chinese.

"I wish I can stay in Ningxia in the future (as well) to teach teachers and students," says Smith. "Idon't have my own children, but my students are my children."

Other than her university job, Smith is involved with caring for poorer children in the remotemountain areas of southern Ningxia. She has also visited many schools in those places, takingbooks for young children and engaging them in fun activities. Smith found that a few childrenthere were reluctant to interact with her at the beginning.

"However, those who were too shy to accept my hugs at first even reminded me that I forgot tohug them when I was leaving," she says, laughing.

"They had poor material conditions and many of them have to do different kinds of chores afterschool," Smith says, adding that the children are studying hard to change their situation.

The hospitality of the children's parents has also touched Smith, who recounts receiving giftssuch as homegrown potatoes and embroidered shoe pads from the parents despite theirimpoverished lives. Smith has received handmade gifts from the kids as well.

In the past few years, she has donated more than 5,000 books to local schools and has gottensome friends in the US to do the same, she adds.

Smith has also financially supported several students from poor families for their education usingher own savings. One such student has successfully graduated from Ningxia University.

"I cannot help them a lot financially, but it's important to give them encouragement. They arestudying far away from home and are eager for care from not only their families. Girls especiallyneed extra care," Smith says, adding that now and then, she invites her students home andcooks them a meal or two.

Smith was also invited as a guest to the Sept 3 military parade in Beijing that marked the 70thanniversary of China's victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression (1937-45).

"I am just an ordinary teacher. What I have done is just a drop of water," Smith says of herexperience in life as an educator.

Smith has published many books on education and is involved with teaching programs of severaluniversities around the world, occasionally traveling to train teachers in different countries suchas Thailand and Lithuania.

À´Ô´£ºChina Daily±¾ÎÄÁ´½Ó£ºhttp://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2015-10/09/content_22140380_2.htm

£¨ÔðÈα༭£ººú«h£©