Patrick's People - Teaching abroad

He didn’t know Chinese and didn’t really care much for Chinese food, but that didn’t keep Pittsburg native Ryan O’Connor  from  accepting a position last year to teach at Sanda University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China.

Now O’Connor, back in the United States visiting family, is looking forward to his second year of teaching American literature and speech to English majors at the university, which was founded in 1992 as the first private university in the People’s Republic of China.

“This has been the best decision I’ve made in my life, professionally,” O’Connor said. “I have a very good life over there. They pay well and I have time to travel.  With the difficult times in the United States, it would be more of a risk for me to come back here.”

A 2001 Pittsburg State University graduate, he was a sports writer for the PSU Collegio and for the Pittsburg Morning Sun. He also did sports coverage in Florida, South Carolina and Arizona before earning a master’s degree in education and going into teaching.

“I was teaching at the high school in Pawtucket, R.I., when I was laid off,” O’Connor said. “The numbers were not in my favor, and a good friend, Jerrod O’Nelio, had been trying to talk me into looking into teaching in Asia. It’s a little crazy to pick up and move halfway across the world, but I was single and thought I’d look into it.”

So he began researching online and found International Teaching Advantage, which specializes in finding teaching positions in China.
“Within a few weeks I had a contract offer at the university,” O’Connor said. “It seemed like the adventure of a lifetime and, if I didn’t like it, it was only for one year.”

He still speaks very little Chinese.

“It’s a very difficult language to learn, and I’ve hired a Chinese tutor to help with it,” O’Connor said. “I’m very lucky that a lot of my students want to help me, and some of the other teachers are willing to help.”
He also discovered that Chinese food in China is very different from Chinese food in the United States.

“I’ve never seen an egg roll over there,” O’Connor said. “Each region is known for its special foods. Shanghai has sweeter food, and the food in Szechuan is hot. The northwest is famous for noodle dishes.”
He found that he really enjoys genuine Chinese cuisine.

“If I do want western food, they have Starbucks, McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King and Pizza Hut,” O’Connor said. “KFC is very big in China.”

He said that the Chinese have been very welcoming to  him.

“Anywhere I go, they are friendly and always have a smile on their face,” O’Connor said. “There are 23 or 25 million people in Shanghai, and about 4 million are westerners. I’ve met wonderful people from all over the world.”

He has enjoyed traveling to other parts of the vast nation, and was especially impressed with a visit to the Great Wall of China, an immense structure stretching across the historic northern borders of China.

“Seeing the Great Wall was unbelievable,” O’Connor said. “You can look at all the photos you want, but it can’t compare to actually seeing it.”

He said that he has also seen much poverty in Asia.

“People may complain about things here, but they should go to Asia,” he said. “Many people live rough over there.”

Before returning to Pittsburg, O’Connor spent around three weeks traveling in France, Belgium, Holland, the Isle of Man, where his friend O’Nelio recently moved, and Ireland.

“I got to meet family there for the first time in County Clare,” O’Connor said. “We have a family farm there and my great-grandfather grew up there. I met cousins that I knew existed but had never seen. That was the best part of my trip. It was priceless, being able to sit there and hear stories about growing up in County Clare.”

Family is important to him. His father, John O’Connor, brother Ben and sister-in-law Kindra and grandparents Joe and Phyllis Ogle all live in Pittsburg. Mary Gassen, his mother, and his sister Maureen O’Connor live in Shawnee. Another brother, Neil O’Connor, works as a sous chef at the Marriott in San Francisco.

“My family is a big reason why I’ve had successes,” O’Connor said. “They have always supported me in everything I’ve done.”
He said that education runs in his family.

“My brother Ben teaches in Columbus, and my father, a retired attorney, has been adjunct faculty at PSU,” O’Connor said. “We do it because we want the opportunity to help others and be positive influence in their lives. Teachers can make such a difference in young people’s lives, and I hope I can make that same kind of impact. The opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life is more important than any amount of money you can make.”