Editor's Note: Naina Mittal from India is a senior student majoring in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter). Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, she was not able to return to...

Editor’s Note: To Helina Fikru Yilma, a senior student of the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter), the city of Shanghai is a second home in her heart.  The Ethiopian girl from the capital city of Addis Ababa was only able to stay on the campus of JI in Shanghai for 18 months because of the global COVID-19 pandemic.  However, the unique culture, the welcoming people, and the profound lessons she learnt during her stay on campus enthralled her.    “I am still on the journey to finding myself, but I know some part of me will always remain Chinese,” she said. In the below story written by Helina, she shares her unforgettable campus life experience as a JI student in Shanghai.

Editor’s Note: Meskerem Abebe Mekuriaw from Ethiopia is a senior student of the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute (UM-SJTU JI, JI hereafter) majoring in Materials Science and Engineering. Because of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the...