Yufan (Claire) Liao is from Changsha Hunan, China. She came to Green River in June 2007 and attended the Summer IESL program. "It was really fun! We went camping, played games, I even won a prize. After my summer IESL experience, I no longer felt lonely in an unfamiliar place. Participating in activities and making friends helped me to adjust quickly to the new environment."

Yufan continued her IESL studies and graduated in March 2008. In her graduation speech she told her fellow students and teachers, "When I think of my IESL experience, I don't just think of grammar tests, listening exams, and oral presentations. I think of people, lots of different people who touched me deeply. Before I came to the United States from China, my mom always said my future is whatever I choose to make of it. I chose to study at GRCC to realize my dreams. Here I met a lot of good people who helped me to no longer feel out of place. Studying in the IESL program has been an influential experience in my life."

Yufan will move on to academic classes next quarter and hopes to transfer to an American university and study aeronautical engineering.