CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., July 1, 2008 – International business majors, twins and 4.0 students Jennifer and Jessica Miller go with their gut and don’t let anything interfere with their ambitions. As freshman unsure of their major, they quickly took stock of their interests and what they wanted out of life. Once they both decided on an international business major with minors in Spanish and economics, they started looking for opportunities to enhance their experience and never looked back.

“Even though neither of us had really traveled, we liked the idea of it,” Jessica said. “It sounded exciting and interesting – being able to jump into an entirely different country and culture. We wanted to see the world and experience new things, and we really enjoyed learning a different language because it’s challenging and fun at the same time. Choosing international business was definitely a wise decision,” she said.

“We had never been out of the country when we chose our major,” Jennifer added. “However, we knew we’d enjoy it, and when two twins like us get together and agree on something, we usually go for it.”

Jennifer and Jessica had done their homework; they knew they would need skills to set them apart from their fellow students and soon-to-be competitors in the job market.

“One of the best solutions we came up with was to learn Mandarin since China plays such a large role in many aspects of business,” Jessica said.

During their sophomore year, they commuted from their house in Dongola, Ill., to Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale for their Mandarin course (Southeast did not offer a Mandarin course at that time), then drove to Southeast for the rest of their classes before driving back home to Dongola.

“It was a rather long commute, but time flies when you’ve got a radio and your twin next to you,” Jessica said.

The twins decided to put their education to the test by traveling to Shanghai, China, a city of more than 16 million people, for a month after their sophomore year to study Chinese language and culture, but not before taking several more preparatory steps.

“We took a temporary job at a small Chinese restaurant in Carbondale, Ill., where we practiced our language skills with the owner and learned about various Chinese dishes,” Jennifer said. “We also studied with a Chinese graduate student named Jue Zhang, or Violet, as we came to know her. We met her in the women’s locker room at the Student Recreation Center and quickly exchanged e-mails. In addition to helping us study, Violet supplied us with important information about what to do and not to do while in China.”
Their preparation paid off with an unforgettable trip for the soon-to-be globe-trotters, but their adventure wasn’t without its challenges, they said.

“Our preparation for the trip definitely helped,” Jessica said. “We were able to read certain signs and communicate somewhat due to our language preparation, and Violet told us what to pack for the trip. She also introduced us to some of her friends in China. The information she gave us was the most helpful, like telling us to always carry water bottles with us and to wear our bags around our shoulders so they wouldn’t get stolen.”

“The trip was a truly life-changing experience for us, and it was wonderful that we got to do it together,” Jennifer said. “We made so many friends and learned so much about adapting to different surroundings. Even simple tasks like ordering food or trying to get to a destination can become quite difficult in a completely different culture, environment and language. However, there’s something truly remarkable and rewarding in the challenge. Obviously, language barriers can become quiet frustrating, but my sister and I enjoyed using our knowledge and skills to try to communicate with the Chinese and make our way through the city,” she said.

“We learned to order our food, make transactions at the bank and have conversations with locals on the street and in the grocery store all by ourselves,” Jessica added. “I’m sure our speaking was a little rough, but it was fun!”

The communication and cultural challenges required some adjustment and perseverance on Jessica and Jennifer’s part, but they met each challenge with a positive attitude and a sense of humor, and they came away from it with many interesting stories to tell.

“We had so many memorable experiences,” Jennifer said. “When we tried to use the university’s swimming pool, the ladies at the front window to the swimming facility didn’t speak any English, and Jessica and I struggled to understand what they were saying. Luckily, a Chinese man helped us communicate with the ladies, who required us to get cards, a health examination (which mainly consisted of a woman at a desk looking at us), and swimming caps. We couldn’t believe all the hoops we had to jump through just to go swimming,” she said.

“When we finally walked out of the women’s locker room in our matching swimming suits and caps, we realized that few other people were wearing the caps that the ladies insisted we wear, and we looked like we were representing the U.S. swim team. We had a good laugh at the whole experience, along with numerous other experiences during out trip,” Jennifer said.

“While eating at most of the actual Chinese restaurants (rather than the American fast food restaurants), we often didn’t know what we were ordering,” Jessica added. “On one occasion, we accidentally ordered some sort of pig hoof soup, and we didn’t realize it until we couldn’t chew the hoof.”

In addition to the communication challenges, the twins had to adjust to a totally different environment and way of doing things, Jennifer said.

“In China, having a lighter complexion is considered beautiful,” she said. “Many of the ladies walked around Shanghai with umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun, which made my sister and I look quite ridiculous as we tried desperately to salvage our tans.”

Despite the challenges and a few surprises, the twins embraced all the opportunities offered by their first experience traveling abroad.

“One of the great aspects of living in another country is getting to experience another culture first-hand, Jennifer said. “We learned the value of improvising in different situations and communicating with people, many of whom became unforgettable friends. I think our time in China gave us a taste for the adventure of living in another country,” she said.

“Studying abroad makes you become more independent, patient and open to new ideas,” Jessica added. “It’s a blast.”

The Journey Continues

Shanghai was just the beginning of the adventure for Jessica and Jennifer. The sisters embarked on two additional study-abroad adventures. They gained a different perspective on Chinese culture and history by spending three weeks in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, this past summer studying Mandarin and Taiwanese culture.

“We looked forward to the opportunity to enhance our Mandarin language skills and to experience Taiwan,” Jennifer said. “We learned a lot on that trip, too, and had a great time doing it.”

Jennifer and Jessica are spent this semester in Valencia, Spain, studying at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia.

“We were enrolled in a program called the European Project Semester,” Jessica said. “Along with a Spanish language course, we worked with a team of students from various countries on a project designated by the Valencia Polytechnic University. Companies came to the university with an idea, and the team of students worked together to build and market it. We believe this program gave us hands-on experience that we can use in our future careers,” she said.

“We loved this experience,” Jennifer added. “Besides the academic benefits of the program, the experience gave us a great opportunity to be engulfed in the Spanish culture and improve our language skills. We also had a ton of fun.”

Jennifer and Jessica’s adventures thus far haven’t only been reserved to foreign countries. They were chosen, along with several other students from Southeast, to participate in a unique spring break seminar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a nonpartisan and nonprofit think tank based in Washington D.C.

“We listened to and spoke with numerous scholars from CSIS who use their knowledge, insight and experiences to advise our government on various global issues,” Jennifer said.

“Many of them were fluent in several different languages, which really impressed me,” Jessica noted. “The seminar was focused on problems the United States and the world will face in the coming years and how we can improve the situation. We discussed a variety of social, political, environmental and economic issues, and we both learned a lot.”

Adventure Around Every Corner

Jessica and Jennifer weren’t content with waiting until their trip to Taiwan for their next adventure. Before they left, they went skydiving for the first time in Bowling Green, MO.

“It was very exciting,” they said. “It was something we had wanted to do for several years.”

They both also enjoy running and entered a half marathon this fall, which, along with their skydiving and traveling experiences, can be added to their list of adventures.

“We also really enjoy horseback riding, camping, swimming, rock climbing and other outdoor activities,” Jessica said.

“We also enjoy singing karaoke, although we aren’t very good,” Jennifer added. “Luckily, people rarely throw things in real life!”

 “We like trying new activities and having new experiences,” Jessica said. “We’ll try almost anything once. That’s our philosophy.”

A World of Opportunity

“Students should keep challenging themselves and have an open mind about different experiences,” Jennifer said. “Jessica and I consider ourselves opportunists. When we see opportunities, we generally take them.”

“I would encourage students, and people in general, to keep reaching further,” Jessica agreed. “Many people have goals and dreams, and they don’t pursue them because they think it will be too difficult or impossible. They become content where they’re at because it’s comfortable and safe. However, the world and life have so much to offer, so why be content with staying in the same place or doing the same thing every day? If you do, you’ll never know what’s out there,” she said. “Mix it up! Sure, some decisions may be bad ideas, but you learn from your mistakes and keep going. If life isn’t a challenge, it’s not fun!”

Jennifer in front of the international exchange building at Shanghai University, where they took a Business in Contemporary China course.

Jennifer on the Bund in Shanghai at night.

Jessica riding a small boat headed for an island on West Lake.

Jessica (left) and Jennifer (right) on a small island on West Lake in Hangzhou.

Jennifer (left) and Jessica (right) on the Bund in modern Shanghai.

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