Hong Sweitzer began teaching chinese in 2013. She became a teacher after she graduated from three universities, Xiamen University in China, Ochanomizu University  and Ochanomizu University in Japan receiving her PhD.

After receiving all of her degrees Sweitzer decided to become a teacher because most of her family and friends were teachers, so she thought it was fitting to follow in their path.

Sweitzer has been teaching off and on for 22 years. She graduated high school when she was 15.

“My parents didn’t push me to graduate early, they just wanted me to make money,” Sweitzer said.

Sweitzer was on the track to graduate when she was 14 but failed her SAT for China’s standards. In China it is imperative to score at least a 1200 or colleges would not consider you.

Graduating early in China is not as abnormal as it may seem.

“It was not that incredible to graduate so early. When I was growing up a student graduated high school when they were 9 and went to Harvard where he got a PhD when they were 13,” Sweitzer said.

-Reis Fogarty