On Friday, September 29, 2023, the International Student Program (ISP) hosted its Fall 2023 walking tour field trip. The students voted to visit San Francisco’s Chinatown, and nine students representing various nations participated in the tour. The students had the opportunity to meet, converse, and get to know each other throughout the tour.
The field trip commenced at 1 p.m. as students and ISP staff gathered at the Skyline College shuttle bus stop in front of Building 4 to catch a ride to Daly City BART station. The journey continued by taking BART from Daly City station to Montgomery station. From there, the students walked to Chinatown and had the opportunity to enjoy downtown San Francisco’s beautiful scenery. The tour began before Chinatown’s southern entrance, Dragon’s Gate.
Throughout the tour, Alex Chang, Program Service Coordinator of the International Student Program, provided insight into the history of Chinatown, including landmarks such as Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral and Portsmouth Square. Students then visited the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory and savored the sweet treats. Subsequently, under the guidance of Thanh Nguyen, a Retention Specialist in the International Program, the students stopped by a local boba shop to quench their thirst. Afterward, they went to the famous Delicious Dim Sum shop to satisfy their hunger.
As expected, San Francisco’s unpredictable weather took a turn for the worst, and the tour concluded after purchasing food to return to Skyline College. Overall, students had the opportunity to meet new people, make new friends, and explore new places. The ISP is very grateful to all the students who attended and helped to make it a truly wonderful event!
If you want to learn more about ISP and future programs and events, don’t hesitate to contact the ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu.
Article and photo by Hnin Thandar Win