Biography: David Schiller

I'm so excited to be going on this trip to China. Being from a small town of about 2,300 people, opportunities like these don't happen very often.

I live in the country with my parents and my two dogs. I have an older sister, but she has already graduated from college and lives in Minneapolis. My dad owns his own hardware business in Tracy. So, I bet you can guess where I work in the summer. My mom is a nurse at the Tracy Area Medical Clinic. I spend much of my time in the summer either working or hanging with my friends. Where I live there isn't a lot to do; therefore, my friends and I meet some place and shoot hoops, go swimming and groups of us get together and play cards for two or three hours a week. Yes, we gamble with pocket change and sometimes have tournaments with chips. It's for fun and we enjoy talking with each other.

I am very involved in my school. I play football and golf. This fall I will be starting my fourth year playing varsity football. I play center on the offense and linebacker or defensive tackle on the defense. Last year we made it deep into the playoffs. I'm excited for this season because we didn't lose many people and most of my friends started last year. I am also one of the four captains, so this adds to my excitement for the season. I'm also chapter vice president of Future Farmers of America at school. I'm on two teams and involved with many of the chapter's activities. I am also very involved with the student council. As president, I get to make decisions on homecoming and many activities throughout the year. These three things keep me busy. Our school is a fun place most of the time.

The China trip is important to me in many different ways. First, I'm ecstatic to meet all the new people. I have realized that the world is small when it comes to knowing people. You might cross paths with people you meet today many times in the future. That's why I think this phrase is so true: "Sometimes it's not what you know, but who you know." I feel that the people I meet on this trip could really benefit me in the future. Second, China is a country of great culture, and the history is enormous! I hope to grasp enough that I can understand it: The where, what, when, and why. With the knowledge and experience gained, it will be exciting to see how I will best be able to apply it. That will be one of my greatest challenges. Eight days is barely enough time to scratch the surface of what is ahead for me in China. One of my fears is that the long days and nights on the mission will get to me, but I'll keep plugging along!

One of the things that makes this mission great is sharing the culture of China with the students of Minnesota. High school kids will be able to learn from people their age. We've all sat through boring history lessons and videos of cultures that were poorly represented. Now, we can be your eyes and ears in China. We plan to give you an in-depth look at China and its culture – we'll try to find the stuff that we like and know you would be interested in and give you the rundown. So follow along with us on the trip and we'll help make it fun to learn about China!