Chinese Student Pursues Dream at Immaculate Conception School:
Relocates from Hefei, China for Catholic education in Marlborough
Relocates from Hefei, China for Catholic education in Marlborough
Anqi Zhou’s (An) journey to the United States from China really began at the young age of two, when she began attending Mass with her aunt and uncle. She was a young girl wanting to know more about life, more about Christian values, and more about the Catholic Faith and going to Mass. An was born in Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
Believing in God and expressing one’s religious beliefs, while living in China was very difficult especially in a communist society. This did not stop An from pursuing her desire to learn more about God and the Faith.
Believing in God and expressing one’s religious beliefs, while living in China was very difficult especially in a communist society. This did not stop An from pursuing her desire to learn more about God and the Faith.
An often found it difficult to express her love of God and to practice her faith openly without the pressure being mocked by her peers. This, however, did not discourage her from embracing her faith and wanting to learn more about how to become a Catholic. At the age of eight, An took instruction and was baptized into the Catholic church in Hefei. It is a city of more than 3 million people, but there is only one Catholic church.
An’s journey to Immaculate Conception School began in 2006 when her aunt and uncle moved back to the United States, settling in Marlborough, MA. After becoming parishioners at Immaculate Conception Church and discovering our parish school, An’s Aunt Christine and Uncle Don, in early 2008, set in motion a plan to bring An to America to pursue the value-based Catholic education that eluded her and she so longed for in China. With the permission of An’s parents back in China, her aunt and uncle approached Mrs. McCook, Principal, who took on the task to bring An to Marlborough, to Immaculate Conception School.
On September 30, 2008 an I-17 petition was filed with the U.S. Department of Justice to gain approval for Immaculate Conception School to issue I-20 Nonimmigrant student visas through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) A lengthy application process ensued. The school was visited by a representative of U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Department of Homeland Security, who reviewed our accreditation, view book, grading policy, admissions requirements, attendance policy, discipline policy, curriculum, and financial records. I was thoroughly interviewed to determine the level of knowledge I had gained from studying the 230 page SEVIS policy manual and had an extensive background check completed. On May 29, 2009 ICS was approved to issue I-20 nonimmigrant student visas for academic and language programs and I was designated as Principal Designated School Official. It was indeed a pleasure to complete the first I-20 for An Zhou. All of our collective prayers were answered when An arrived on campus with Don and Christine on September 1, 2009 with her I-20 in hand!
During the summer of 2009, the McCormack’s received the wonderful news that ICS was approved for An to attend. An was notified shortly thereafter by her aunt and uncle that she would be coming to America to attend Immaculate Conception School. “It was really happening; An would be coming to live with us to pursue her dream of learning more about her Catholic faith, the Church, and most importantly receiving a value-based Catholic education at Immaculate Conception School,” Aunt Christine said. “She was so excited”.
The transition from China to America has been a smooth one. “It is much better than we expected”, said Uncle Don. “The faculty, staff, and students at Immaculate Conception School have been wonderful, An loves going to school each and every day”. She is improving her English language skills with help from her teachers, classmates as well as her Aunt and Uncle. An’s Aunt Christine speaks Chinese and is adept at assisting in translating An’s homework assignments. An is learning quickly and the faculty, staff, and students at Immaculate Conception School have welcomed An with open arms. When asked how she is adjusting to America and her new school, An says with a great big smile, “I love it”!
An made the trip from China by herself, meeting her aunt and uncle in Newark, N.J. They drove home that evening so An could attend IC’s visiting day the next morning. Jet lag from a 10,000 mile trip did not diminish An’s excitement as she was anxious to see her new school and meet her new classmates. An’s Aunt Christine and Uncle Don expressed their sincerest gratitude for Mrs. McCook and the task she took on in making sure An could come to America to attend Immaculate Conception School. They also said they are so pleased with the kindness that her classmates, and the faculty and staff have graciously extended to her. “It is like she has 100 mothers looking after her”. The Middle School students and faculty are also learning Chinese from An. They have a word wall where each week a new phrase is added, written in Chinese and all learn the correct pronunciation from An.
The entire Immaculate Conception School Community welcomes An to our parish school!