Michael discovered a passion and community around Chinese language and culture in high school and college, but he had never been able to travel to the country that had such an influence on his life. Through this trip, he found that he enjoyed traveling, and his experiences in Chinese language classrooms and relationships with Chinese teachers had prepared him well to feel comfortable in China.
“Personally I have never been abroad or even flew on a plane before. The entire experience, every aspect of it was something new to me. The people to people trip was unique in that we had a chance to interact with Chinese people. Most guided tours or even vacations never have that opportunity. This way we get to experience the real China. “
Michael Flores
Confucius Institute at Texas Southern University
Michael Flores (夫乐）attended Texas Southern University, a proud Historically Black College and University (HBCU) where he majored in history with a minor in Chinese studies. He originally learned Mandarin in high school at Bellaire Homeschool located in Houston Texas. Michael received the People-to-People Award in 2017 after spending a year as a Confucius Institute student and enjoyed every minute of his experience. Michael is currently pursuing a law degree with an emphasis on international law and aspires to become a U.S Diplomat in China.
