The Best Coincidence in My life

By Brunno Tomiyama Suzuki

A year ago, I would not have thought that I would be living and working as a teaching assistant in Dalian, China. My journey to arrive here is one of my favorite stories. While finishing my undergraduate degree and beginning my Accelerated MBA at MSU as an international student-athlete from Brazil, I was searching for a Graduate Assistant (GA) position. I initially spoke with Dr. Shao, who recommended a few TA roles, but none of them felt like the right fit.

That same day, I happened to pass by the International Business Programs office and ran into some friends. In the middle of our conversation, I discovered that a friend’s boyfriend was actually heading to Dalian, China for a TA position. A few days later, I met him at work, and he took the time to explain the role and help me understand the process. Even though I was expecting the position in for the Spring semester, a couple weeks later, I received the good news that a new spot opened up for the Fall semester. Shortly after, Mary Tomerlin reached out to me, and the rest was history. Dr. Shao also travelled to China with me in August. This is a good example that sometimes a good opportunity starts from a simple “hello” in a hallway.

Preparing for China was a rollercoaster. On one hand, I was incredibly stressed about the language barrier, moving to a country where you don’t speak the local language is a real challenge. On the other hand, everything I had seen about China on social media made me so excited to see the reality of the country for myself.

When it came time to pack, I wanted to bring pieces of my “homes” with me. I packed plenty of Missouri State shirts to represent my university and clothes from Brazil because I love sharing my culture with the people I meet. Representing both my Brazilian roots and my American education has been a great conversation starter.

The moment I stepped off the plane, I was impressed by how massive and beautiful Dalian is. It is a city with incredible scales and architecture. One of the most interesting parts of my experience so far is a bit of a cultural “plot twist”: Since I am Asian descent, locals often assume I am Chinese. They will approach me and start speaking in Chinese immediately! While it can be a challenge with the language barrier, it’s also a great way to experience how welcoming and curious people here are toward foreigners. The energy of this city is amazing. To be honest, I could see myself living here for a very long time.

About the experience in the classroom at LNNU-MSU CIB, I am currently assisting with Marketing and Management courses. Even though my background is in Economics and Finance, Marketing and Management is a big part of international business, and it’s been a great way to broaden my perspective.

The biggest difference I notice in the students here is the effort they put in despite a significant language barrier, since all classes are taught in English. It has changed how I approach my own MBA studies. Being a TA forces you to stay organized and “think like a professor.” When you must understand a concept well enough to help someone else, your own study habits improve naturally.

If you’re in Springfield wondering if you should take the opportunity and come to Dalian, my advice is simple: Do it! The growth you experience in a completely new culture is something you can’t get from a textbook.