Reagan Thompson '08 was named by China Hands Magazine as one of this year's, "25 Under 25: Rising Stars in U.S. - China Relations." Thompson started her study of Chinese at Holton and focused in politics as a result of growing up in Washington, D.C. She continued her education of Chinese language and relations at three different universities: Stanford University in the United States, Peking University in China, and the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom.
Thompson's first encounter with China relations, outside the classroom, was with her involvement with the Rural Education Action Project. During this project, she lived in China, spoke Chinese, and volunteered in rural villages. Thompson mentioned in China Hands Magazine that through volunteering in local villages, she was able to better conceptualize many of the decisions that the Chinese government was making.
Thompson continued to be involved in Chinese relations with her previous work with the U.S. House of Representatives as a Foreign Affairs Committee Graduate Fellow and at the U.S. Department of State Bureau of East Asian Pacific Affairs. Thompson also cites that she hopes in the future that she can help focus the foreign policy dialogue on China and stand up for American values in the region.
This past October, Holton was fortunate to have Thompson speak with current students studying Chinese. Thompson shared with the class about her time in China and how studying Chinese and visiting China has helped shape her current career.
Congratulations, Reagan! We are eager to see your career growth in U.S.-China relations!