Editor's note: China Daily presents the series Friends Afar to tell the stories of people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries. Through the vivid narration of the people in the stories, readers can get a better understanding of a country that is boosting openness.
Kathryn Johnson visits students from a school for the deaf students in Changchun, Jilin province, in June 2016. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
For Kathryn Johnson, her connection to China started with a Chinese family in her local community in 1999, when a kid of Chinese heritage died in a swimming pool. At that time, she was a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing at a public school in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
"I wanted to help the family out in some way. So, we got white carnations and sold the carnations to help pay for the funeral," Johnson said.
That led to her students' curiosity about China. To make up for her lack of knowledge, Johnson joined a delegation that traveled to China in the summer of 2000. The trip was organized by Gallaudet University in Washington DC, a university primarily for deaf students.
