The Wonderfully Creative Ms. Fei: by Isabella Daley

Heartfelt Tidbits intern Fei embraces creativity and discovers a love for teaching...

When she moved to the United States at age 17, Fei Mou knew she enjoyed making art, but she had not yet discovered her joy for teaching.  Interning with Heartfelt Tidbits has helped Fei combine a long-held passion for creativity with a newly uncovered interest in teaching.  

Fei grew up in a smaller city in China called Ning Zhou before traveling to the US to study art in college.  "My main goal is to get an art education here," she said.  "China's art education system is focused on the technical stuff, but I did not want that." Since starting art school, she has learned how to cultivate an individual style and has grown in how she creates her artwork.  The quality of her education has surprised her, and her professors have taught her how to "not only draw things as they are, but to put myself into it," Fei said.

One of Fei's professors helped her find Heartfelt Tidbits when she needed an internship for her college program.  "I got this [job] one week before the deadline for the internship, and if I wouldn't have, I would have had to wait another year to graduate," she said.  Even though Fei worried at first that she would have little to contribute to the work environment, she now dreads leaving when her internship is over. "I feel like I used all my lucky fortunes to get this job." 

Despite her gratitude in matching with Heartfelt Tidbits for her internship, Fei was initially hesitant to be working with children. "Before I came to Heartfelt Tidbits, I thought I hated kids," Fei said.  "I look mean if I don't smile, and I thought I would make kids cry.  So when Sheryl gave me this position, I was surprised that I really enjoy working with kids," she explained.   

Both of Fei's parents are teachers, so she had thought she would never want to have a similar profession.  Fei now finds children to be rather cute, and she would like to combine her love for art and working with children.  "I realized that this is something that changed my life.  I used to only want to do commission work as an artist, but now I think I may want to be a teacher or apply for a teaching certificate." 

Fei's internship experience has taught her more than a love for teaching children.  When she first started working for Heartfelt Tidbits, Fei made embroideries with a group of refugees, and she had to adapt the way she communicated with them.  "I had to try different ways to have them open up. They had a hard time telling their stories," Fei said.  Luckily, Fei discovered that "working with them and making something" and "showing them that they are good at something" helped to build the refugees' confidence.  Fei further learned that she could do artwork with the group of refugees in an open, relaxed way because "work doesn't always have to be that serious to get the job done." 

Though Fei's teaching experiences have been positive and enlightening, she has still faced some adversities in adjusting to life as an immigrant.  Though most people she has met have been welcoming, Fei has experienced racism in the US as well.  "Recently I had an experience with a man holding a knife at me for being Asian," she said.  She misses her family and the food from China as well as the friendliness of her neighbors at home.  "The neighbors in China live really close and tight together.  When you go outside and see others, you have a close relationship, which I haven't experienced here," Fei said.  "It can be lonely because everyone minds their own business." 

Another cultural difference Fei has encountered in the US was when she noticed in high school that students could eat snacks during math class.  "That really shocked me because in China the teachers would be furious," she said.  

High school was when Fei learned how to balance her identity and the transition to life in the US.  "In high school, I was ashamed of my nationality," Fei said.  She changed her hair and felt that she needed to change herself before realizing that she could still be herself in her new environment.  "I learned that I will always be an outsider, and that is okay.  I can be myself.  Art school has helped me with that as well," Fei added.  Outside of Heartfelt Tidbits, the people who have helped Fei feel welcome are her professors.  "They have always listened to me," Fei said, "it was really important as someone from another country to be listened to." 

Fei has noticed that many people think immigrants come to new countries because they hate their home countries, but she says that is not the case.  "A lot of people think that when you immigrate to a new country, you have to denounce your home country," she explained.  "People immigrate, not because you don't like your home, but because you have to in order to live." 

With her experience both as an immigrant and working with other immigrants and refugees, Fei says it is important for people interested in becoming involved with the immigrant and refugee community to pay attention not only to verbal communication but also nonverbal cues.  "There is sometimes a language barrier, so you can't expect too much in people expressing themselves," she advises, adding that facial expressions can communicate a lot.  "I have been really grateful to those who have shown their love to me physically and made me comfortable."

"Luckily, I have met a lot of people here at Heartfelt Tidbits who have been really kind," Fei said. "I am really grateful for my experience."