Dear TIRF Colleagues and Friends,
TIRF recently conducted a successful review for the English Language Center at United International College in Zhuhai, China. After the review was completed, I invited two TIRFers to join me in Macao, Trustee David Nunan and Chief Operating Officer Ryan Damerow.
During our evening together in Macao, I had the pleasure of introducing Charles Hung, a TIRF Presidential Society Fellow, and his family to David and Ryan. It turned out to be a lovely experience with invigorating sharing of ideas, great food and drink, but more importantly, the hearty chats with a young man aspiring to study in US and motivated to not just learn English but to use it in ways that will better himself and help others. David and Ryan were thrilled to have the opportunity to meet and interact with the members of this family who are doing so much to support the Foundation. I invited them to share in their own words their own experiences from our time together.
“That evening out with Charles and his family was such an enjoyable social outing at an intimate Macanese fusion restaurant,” David said. He continued, “While the food and wines were excellent – I’ve come to expect no less from Jun – the highlight of the evening was meeting and interacting with Charles, the inaugural Fellow of TIRF’s Presidential Society, and his family. I found Charles to be articulate, charming, and with a great sense of humor: He is a wonderful initial Fellow. While he’s a college student in America, and in the years to come, I’m sure he’ll be an outstanding ambassador for TIRF.”
Ryan commented on the evening, as well. According to him, “It is evident from my time with Charles that his future is bright. He is a very intelligent young man who is committed to bettering himself and helping others. He has a great attitude and outlook on life, especially for someone at such a young age. While it’s impossible to know what exactly the future holds for him, he’s heading in a promising direction.” Ryan added, “Charles’ story is an excellent example of many aspects of the work TIRF does internationally. Simply put, TIRF seeks to improve people’s lives around the world through harnessing the power of language education and communication. Each person has their own unique journey. Charles aspires to study abroad to continue his education, so that he can use English to engage in new experiences, build upon and add to his skillsets, and benefit from the growth experienced by living outside the place where he was raised.”
When I saw David and Ryan interacting with Charles, I was convinced that TIRF is doing the right thing to nurture young talent through English language education. We are grateful that there are people within our communities who consider our work critical for the future of individuals everywhere.
TIRF will continue to focus on its mission and expects that its work will help people of all ages, races, backgrounds, educational experiences, and so on. There is no limit to the impact we stand to deliver around the world. With help from our colleagues and friends, including current TIRF supporters, our partners, our Board of Trustees and our staff, our grantee alumni network, and the many people we will meet in the future, I am motivated in knowing we will deliver long-lasting benefits to so many people in the years ahead.
Kind regards,
Jun Liu
TIRF President
