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Asia Re-Visited (July 2007)
Harold Hall recounts his two visits to Asia this past year visiting with former students and families, some of whom he met during his first recruiting trip for Mount Union College some twenty-two years ago.
I was privileged again to return to Asia accompanying Dr. William Coleman, Assistant to the President of Mount Union College for Diversity, to Japan to help celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Yoshino Murakami Scholarship offered to students who had attended Hiroshima Jogakuin Girls High School.
It was a time of getting together with alumni in Tokyo, Osaka and Hiroshima renewing acquaintances and reminiscing. For some former students, it became a time for them to reconnect with one another, in some cases after nearly twenty years.
Dr. Coleman was only able to remain for a week. Following his departure I continued to visit with alumni in Singapore, Penang and Bangkok. Though I visited each city for only two days, it was again, a time of coming together and enjoying the sharing of times together at Mount Union. It was also a time of visiting with families in each of the cities who were so kind and gracious to me during the years I was recruiting students. It was a time of getting together with more of my “extended family” in Asia. There were surprises in Singapore when two former students flew in from Malaysia one evening in time for dinner.
I hope that you are able to discern from what I have related to you and from the photos, the strong bond that exists between Mount Union College and our alumni in Asia after so many years. It is my hope that this relationship will not only last, but also continue to grow as the College seeks to continue to develop relationships with other countries, welcoming young people to our country and to Mount Union College.
Harold Hall
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