Taking Charge in the Classroom

Yan, a member of the BME team that won the spring 2024 Capstone Expo, was a teaching assistant (TA) under Fernandez, guiding students who were barely younger than her. That proximity in age was something that drew Yan to becoming a TA in BMED 1000, the first design course that a Coulter Department undergrad takes. 

“Honestly, it was one of my favorite experiences in Coulter BME, meeting and working with the incoming class of freshmen,” said Yan, who also worked as a TA in more advanced design classes with Fernandez, BMED 2210 and BMED 2250. “I’d been in these students’ shoes not so long ago, so it was a great feeling to be able to help my peers and get some teaching experience.”

Fernandez explained that the class is split into two parts: half involves a design project in which students work in teams with a faculty member.

“The other half is comprised of discussion groups of eight first-year students led by a TA,” he said. “So, from the very start of working as a TA, Emily was responsible for building a community of learning among students that were new to Georgia Tech.”

There was no faculty in the room during this part of the class, just students teaching other students, and Yan was hooked. 

Part of her TA experience also involved taking a close look at the courses themselves, and making student-centered enhancements, such as mental health outreach to help deal with stress during exam weeks.

“She’s always been willing to take the initiative when she thinks something could be made better,” Fernandez said. “Emily works hard to make people feel welcome and valuable. Most importantly, she has an unquenchable thirst for learning that infects and motivates everyone around her.”

That motivation is like a gift that keeps on giving — Yan’s infectious nature has inspired at least one other BME undergrad, Ali Mitchell, to apply for the Fulbright award this year. Emily was Ali’s TA, and Ali became a TA for the same class.

Non-Verbal Communication

Yan, whose family moved to the U.S. from China, grew up in Atlanta. So, she didn’t have to travel a great distance for college. The Fulbright experience has taken her out of a comfort zone and forced her to thrive in unfamiliar surroundings — which she loves exploring on her motorbike.

“I get around pretty good on my motorcycle, slash, scooter,” she said, laughing. “Within the first month here in Taiwan, the Fulbright people helped us get our motorcycle licenses, and that was a Godsend.”

The main goal of Fulbright scholars like Yan is to enhance the English language skills of Taiwanese students, working with local teachers. The scholars also serve as cultural ambassadors, fostering mutual understanding between the U.S. and Taiwan. When she isn’t working, Yan visits the sites on her motorcycle (and hopes to take some time for a road-trip when her Fulbright term ends on June 30, perhaps doing a lap around Taiwan, not a very large nation.

She speaks Mandarin Chinese fluently at home with her family, but English is Yan’s first language. Mandarin is spoken widely in Taiwan, but she’s still 8,000 miles from home, and sometimes it can be difficult to pick up on a dialect. There can be communication gaps if you’re not paying attention.