Taiwan Tech's fourth-year student, Ying-Shan Huang, from the Department of Applied Foreign Languages, passed through the rigorous selection process of the Central News Agency's “I am an Overseas Correspondent” program. Among 195 applicants, she stood out and was assigned to intern at Antara News Agency in Jakarta, Indonesia. As the sole correspondent not majoring in journalism or communication studies, Ying-Shan Huang views this overseas internship as a journey of self-growth. It not only allows her to gain a deeper understanding of the life of a foreign correspondent but also enables her to immerse herself in the unfamiliar Indonesian culture, providing her with a fulfilling experience.

Ying-Shan Huang, a fourth-year student from the Department of Applied Foreign Languages at Taiwan Tech.

Since childhood, Ying-Shan Huang has harbored dreams of becoming a broadcaster. Even though she enrolled in the Department of Applied Foreign Languages, she maintains a keen interest in the media industry. She regularly watches news analysis programs on YouTube channels like “Today's World” and “Critical Comments” to stay informed about global affairs and cultivate diverse perspectives. Ying-Shan Huang admitted that lacking a journalism background and not being at the pinnacle of English proficiency, she felt anxious during the selection process for the overseas correspondent program, fearing she might miss the opportunity. When she learned of her selection, she was both shocked and elated. She took the initiative to ask her Indonesian classmates about Muslim culture and cultural taboos, enabling her to grasp insights about Indonesia beforehand. This prior knowledge helped her smoothly integrate into local life upon arriving in Indonesia.

For students studying communication-related disciplines, writing news articles might seem easy, but for Ying-Shan Huang, who lacks experience in journalism and news writing, it's a big challenge. She emphasized her primary challenge stems from the lack of relevant experience in designing interview questions and managing the nuances of interviews. Moreover, since the local language is Indonesian, and she is not proficient in it, finding interviewees willing to respond in English has been considerably challenging, leading to a sense of frustration.

Ying-Shan Huang (right) conducted interviews with Indonesian citizens about air pollution.

She shared that during the second week of the internship, her supervisor assigned her to write a report on Indonesian art history. However, her limited knowledge of the art field, coupled with the requirement to write the report in English, made this task extremely challenging. She described it as "more difficult than ever!" Ying-Shan Huang chuckled, admitting that in the later stages of her assignment, she faced writer's block and homesickness, leading her to burst into tears. Despite this, she persevered and completed the news report word by word, feeling a sense of accomplishment upon its completion.

Throughout her 28-day posting, Ying-Shan Huang not only broadened her international perspective but also gained profound insights into her shortcomings. She overcame various challenges and completed news articles through her sheer determination. One of the most rewarding aspects for her was receiving encouragement and praise from the interviewees after the publication of her reports. This positive feedback made her feel acknowledged for her hard work, encouraging her to persist in unfamiliar territory in Indonesia.

Ying-Shan Huang had a stand at a travel exhibition in Indonesia.

During the final week of her posting, Ying-Shan Huang proposed to her supervisor the creation of a story about Indonesian individuals leaving their homeland to work in Taiwan. She interviewed an Indonesian couple who had previously worked in Taiwan and cherished their experience there. Ying-Shan Huang aimed to showcase Taiwan through a news release on the Antara News Agency, hoping to familiarize more Indonesians with Taiwan, the beautiful island.

This journey transformed the introverted Ying-Shan Huang into someone more willing to take on challenges and embrace the unknown. "Sometimes, a road may seem like a cliff from a distance, but you have to gather the courage to jump off to learn how to land safely. That's how I felt about this overseas internship," she expressed. Ying-Shan Huang is also double majoring in Finance and has an interest in foreign businesses and economics. She hopes to explore and experience various fields of work, encouraging her juniors not to confine themselves. "Many challenging obstacles require summoning courage first, but through repeated failures and learning, one can improve," she encouraged.

Interviewing the Director of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau's Kuala Lumpur Office at the Taiwan booth during the travel exhibition in Indonesia.