'Nerd' finds success and makes friends with Friends

Hu Chen first traveled overseas at the age of 10, when he took second place in a national calligraphy competition and won a five-day cultural exchange to South Korea.

Although Hu's mother was worried about him traveling overseas unaccompanied, he coped with the situation well. By using his limited, or rather broken, English, he managed to communicate with the locals and even bargained with street vendors to buy gifts for his parents.

At high school, Hu learned of an opportunity for 13 Chinese students to visit the United States on a two-week exchange. Though initially hesitant, he applied for the program after his parents encouraged him, and was accepted.