The woman who quit school to teach

When Zhou Wan was recruited by the foreign affairs department of a well-known middle school in Chongqing, her parents were thrilled. After all, the job was a great start in the working life of the recent graduate of Sichuan International Studies University.

However, last year the 23-year-old made a decision that shocked her parents and relatives: She quit her job and joined a government-run volunteer program, offering her skills as a teacher of Chinese in Africa.

Despite her parents' objections, Zhou applied to work in Mauritius, an African island nation, for a year. At first, she found life difficult. Work at the middle school was hard and exhausting.