Getting the chance to explore the other side of the world this past summer, two Diamond Bar High School students, senior Phillip Mwathe and Freshman Elliot James, visited and learned about China through a cultural exchange program along with 16 other students across Southern California. 

“One day, I received an email from the Council of African American Parents that they offered me a spot,” said Mwathe. “All I needed was just my visa and my passport. The trip, the ticket, and the hotel would all be paid for.”

During the trip, the students visited several major cities across China such as Beijing and Guangzhou. To learn more about Chinese culture and history, they visited several museums and historical landmarks in each of those spots. Additionally, the students tried the local cuisine and visited local Chinese shops. 

“My favorite thing would have to be the Forbidden City tour,” Mwathe said. “All the information they gave was really nice and just seeing the nice architecture with the building was just really beautiful and cool.”

As a bonus to the all-expenses-paid trip to China, the pair from Diamond Bar were also able to meet with students from other high schools in Southern California. Many of the other students were also visiting China for the very first time.

“It was me and about 17-18 other students,” Mwathe said. “We were all in high school and because they weren’t all from Diamond Bar, it was really nice becoming friends with them and getting to know them better.”

The other Southern California students were not the only students that Mwathe and James got a chance to interact with, however. As a part of the cultural exchange program, the Southern California students also got the chance to visit a Chinese high school and experience what school life was like there. 

“We were able to interact with the students there,” Mwathe said. “We were able to talk with them, learn some of the traditional dances and learn about what they do in school. Then, they learned about what we do in school and performed for us with their instruments.” 

Despite having to endure the hot weather in China, reaching over 90 degrees, the trip was overall a positive experience for the pair. What was most impactful and memorable for them was how different life was in China compared to the United States, such as the school culture and the history. 

“Of course I miss home, but I was really sad to leave because it’s completely different there,” Mwathe said. “The cities there are nice, the people there are nice people, and, and the food there is really good too.