International student at IVCC wins Paul Simon Essay Contest

For international student Zixuan “Maggie” Yang, finding an American college that welcomed her with open arms was as critical as finding one that opened the world to her. At Illinois Valley Community College, she found the real human connection she was seeking.

Yang described her struggles and her recovery in her winning Paul Simon Essay Contest entry. Students are asked to explain how IVCC has changed their lives. Yang will receive $300 from IVCC’s Student Government Association, which sponsors the campus contest. She will read her essay at the Academic Awards reception on April 23.

Additionally, the essay will be entered in the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA) statewide contest, where one submission will be chosen for an additional $500 award.

Yang’s American college career got off to a rocky start. She had missed the college registration deadline, which nearly terminated her student visa status, and she was battling depression and struggling with ADHD, language barriers and cultural adaptation, she wrote.

“As an international student, I often felt isolated – lectures were overwhelming, and even ordering coffee required rehearsing my words. I felt lost. But IVCC rekindled my hope.”

IVCC staff helped her restore her student status and set a course schedule.

“Their support showed me that at IVCC, every student truly matters. IVCC became more than a school – it became my support system.”

Her arrival in the United States to live with an aunt in the Illinois Valley had followed a months-long COVID-19 lockdown that left her reeling and frantic to leave behind the university system in China. She welcomed the pace and environment of a community college where “I have been able to break free from the oppressive conformity that I experienced elsewhere.”

The new environment enabled her to redefine her personal values and the rhythm of her life, she added.

This spring, Yang will return to China for a few months before continuing her university studies in America. She’s approaching the transition with confidence now because she feels healthier and stronger.

“IVCC gave me a foundation in my major, and I have very good skills. I also connected to a lot of people here, and I plan to keep in touch with all my teachers and friends. I feel powerful – and that is what IVCC gave me!”

Yang became familiar on social media in China and the United States, and her posts about IVCC, her life in America, her recovery and her mental health issues have attracted hundreds of followers.

“They ask me a lot of questions about how to apply to IVCC and how to support a life here,” she said.

Yang credits her recovery to instructors at IVCC “who not only taught, but truly cared.”

Jean Forst’s reading class “was my first academic hurdle. Her patience made me want to learn – not just to pass – because I felt valued.”

Amanda Cook Fesperman’s history classes “changed how I saw the world. For the first time, I realized I was not just a foreign observer – I had a voice.”

Music instructor Michael Pecherek “changed how I saw myself – not just an ESL (English as a Second Language) student, but as someone whose culture and voice mattered.”

Learning she had won this essay contest gave Yang another boost just when she needed one.

“I was feeling very heavy pressure on myself. I wondered how to support my life here. I can control nothing. Then I received this good news. God gives me a hand and says do not worry about your future. This is just a little gift I give you, that IVCC gave you, winning this honor.”