In 1978, China had just started opening up to the outside world after 30 years of closure and 10 years of chaotic, destructive Cultural Revolution. For those of us who were deprived of higher education during that period, we earnestly sought every possible opportunity to study abroad. Thanks to President Robert Kemble’s visionary establishment of a student exchange program between Lamar and Jilin Universities, we were fortunate to become the first students ever from Communist China to enter Lamar for a master’s degree in business.
Studying in the United States was a dream that came true. Yet it also posed a huge challenge to us: we had no idea about the western economy, capitalism, marketing, management, etc. As a result, we had to take “prerequisite” classes for a business major and make up for our lack of basic knowledge before being officially enrolled into the master’s degree program. Every of these “make-up” classes required effort to comprehend, not only the concepts that were completely foreign, but also the ability to put them into practice in order to pass the exams. This included, but was not limited to, numerous case studies of management, business law, skills for marketing a new product, discounting cash flows of a bond issue, debits/credits in accounting entries, and essays on demand/supply curves, to name a few.
For three years at Lamar starting in 1981, we were welcomed wholeheartedly by the faculty, fellow students, and many others. Our first impressions of America, and our memories of that time, have stayed with us ever since. President Kemble and his wife Helen took care of us like members of their family and gave us tremendous support at every level of our stay at Lamar. From adapting to campus living in America, to helping us understand American history, society, and lifestyles. We still remember vividly when, soon after we arrived, someone knocked at our door. It was Helen, who had come to see if we had settled in. She discovered that we needed a kitchen knife for cooking. She soon came back with one which we have continued using for more than 40 years!
Shortly after we settled down, Carol, their youngest daughter, took us to a theatre to see our first America movie, “Victory”. Pele (The Brazilian football superstar) led an Allied prisoner team and beat a German team with a back kick. Bob and Helen took us to church for our first Christmas in the U.S. We learned about the religious traditions and the holiday atmosphere. Later, we went to a country fair with the Kemble family and got a taste of local festivities. It is these experiences that paved the path of our future success, both culturally and academically.
We first met Bob and Helen in 1978 when they made their first exploratory visit to China. That began our life-long friendship and we became members of the Kemble family. Studying at Lamar was the starting point for realizing our American dreams. For this, we are forever grateful to Bob. He gave us the opportunity and guided us throughout the journey to achieve our accomplishments today.
– After graduating with degrees in business from Lamar, we went on to pursue advanced studies. I obtained a degree of Master of Accountancy and became a Certified Public Accountant. My husband took a PhD in Operations and Logistic Management. We then started careers in the business and academic fields, respectively. Today, I am a retired professional after taking various positions in public accounting firms and international banks. My husband continues to serve as a tenured professor at St John’s University, New York.
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