桑福德——她的名片上写着“王冠”, 孔子课堂讲师, 中央卡罗莱纳社区学院,这些话都是真的. But such simple facts can't come close to capturing her actual role at the college -- or in Sanford, 她的第二故乡.

As the English professor from the University of Sichuan in Chengdu, 中国, concluded her three-year tenure leading 推荐正规买球平台's center for Chinese language and culture, 人们更多地记得她是一位大使.

At a farewell reception just before Memorial Day, a procession of local officials stepped behind the podium to express their heartfelt admiration and thanks.

Sanford Mayor Chet Mann described Wang as "a great professor, a great human being and a lovely person" before reading an official city proclamation calling her "a gracious servant of the community.鲍勃·乔伊斯, who directs economic development for the Sanford Area Growth Alliance, recalled how Wang helped guide local officials as they formalized Sanford's sister-city relationship with Yixing, a bustling metropolitan community west of Shanghai known worldwide for its elegant pottery teapots.

"Having Professor Wang here to teach us a little bit about culture and Chinese language certainly helps us build partnerships for the future," Joyce told those assembled to celebrate the occasion. "And that's the way that we will be economically successful and viable as a community."

Wang followed Ling Huang and Shuya Che as the third visiting instructor for 推荐正规买球平台's Confucius Classroom, an educational partnership created seven years ago with N.C. State University's Confucius Institute and Nanjing Normal University, another educational institution farther west from Yixing. The Confucius Classroom promotes an intercultural exchange grounded in Chinese language courses, but offering a wide range of cultural events and activities as well.

告别酒会后不久, Wang was asked what she thinks will be her longest lasting contribution to Sanford. There were many to choose from and she began by mentioning her students, who were eager to learn the Chinese language and connect with a culture growing in influence here and around the globe. Then there were the Chinese artists and 音乐ians she helped bring to Sanford so they could share their perspectives and talent.

但王强调的是更私密的东西. She talked about encouraging open communication among Chinese and American people and how that could lead to stronger relationships in business and government. Then she quickly turned to the Great Wall Society, a student club she created at the college to extend an understanding of Chinese culture beyond the classroom and into the community.

"It's my wish for this club to last as long as the Great Wall in 中国,她说.

当她要发表告别演说的时候, the Chengdu native stepped in front of her students and friends dressed in red, a color used in Chinese culture to express a sense of celebration, 幸福和喜悦, and she started by recounting lessons learned from her parents and grandparents -- including virtues such as kindness, 勤奋, 和耐心.

She talked about how she occasionally felt lonely far from family, but why it was a bit easier when friends in Sanford, 她的第二故乡, 把她当自己人看待. She recounted her work at the college and took special pride displaying some of her students' final projects using film, 音乐, and even original games to express their understanding of Chinese language and culture.

When Wang steps back into her classroom in 中国, she will return with an appreciation for what she found on this side of globe. 树木和新鲜空气. 博物馆和节日. And, most of all, the diverse individuals that made her adopted home so unique. "I will bring back with me the beautiful memories, 伟大的经历, 最重要的是, appreciation for many people that I will never forget,她说.

In other words, the professor still sounded as much like an ambassador as she did an instructor.

For more information on 中央卡罗莱纳社区学院, visit www.预备.edu.