“Going to Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology had no doubt provided me with an unforgettable and valuable experience. During my time there, I was able to work on my thesis–Production of an Autophagy Regulating Peptide, Tat-Beclin 1, by Saccharomyces cerevisiae–under the supervision of Professor Dr. Zhiping Xie, who is an expert in the field. While there were some difficulties regarding the experiment, not only did the professor and his team of graduate students provide a supportive learning environment where I could seek knowledge on my own accord, but they were also very passionate in their assistance to guide me through the process of research whether it be sketching up the design of the nifty effective specifics experiment or consultation on the performance of protein extraction. All of this allowed me to further cultivate soft, hard, and problem-solving skills, which are advantageous traits to have. Outside of that, I also had the opportunity to bond with them in and out of work and create a long-lasting friendship that still persists even now. The university also held many festivities that allowed me to deepen my understanding of their culture and way of thinking. All in all, my time abroad helped improve me as a researcher and person and gave me precious memories for which I am grateful.” Malisa Pien, Class of 2019