‘Best foundation in becoming a person’ “We knew nothing of the United States, its geog- raphy or anything,” Marian said. “Our parents were worried for us and afraid of discrimination. Since we were born and raised in China, we had never expe- rienced discrimination…but our entire experience in Rock Hill, we never experienced a sense of discrimi- nation or unkind language.”

“Or rejection – we only experienced kindness,” Helen added.

They shared how local schools would invite them to come and speak to their classes about Chinese culture. Fellow classmates also invited them to their homes for the holidays.

In their nearly 95 years, twins Marian and Helen Chuan, Winthrop College Class of 1949, have often been guided by their parents’ wise words:

“Joy comes from little things.” “The more I give, the more I receive.” “Every day you can find something beautiful, if you look.”

The sisters have found joy and beauty in dedicat- ing their lives to community service since gradu- ating from Winthrop, where they were considered the first international students from China.

They spent their illustrious careers in the nurs- ing, teaching, child development and social work education fields, and volunteered extensively in the Valle Verde community of Santa Barbara, California.

Their path to a life of service — and to Winthrop — began years ago in Beijing.

From Beijing to Shanghai to… Rock Hill Their parents always emphasized the importance of education: their father earned degrees from Yale (the first student from northern China to at-

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tend), and their mother graduated from Carleton College. The couple eventually resided in Beijing. After the Japanese army invaded China and oc- cupied Beijing in 1940, the Chuan family escaped in stages to Shanghai. Later, the twins’ father shared his desire to send the twins to the United States for college with a missionary neighbor, who knew then-Winthrop President Henry Sims’ secretary, and they were admitted.

Marian and Helen arrived in San Francisco via boat, then took a train cross-country to Rock Hill. President Sims and his wife met them at the station and invited them to stay in the President’s House until the semester began. Unbeknownst to the twins, their father had written to Sims en- couraging the president to place them in different dorms.

“He thought since we had come all the way to the United States that we should be on our own,” Marian explained.

“When the president showed us our father’s let- ter, it just brought tears to us,” Helen continued. “The president, being a twin himself, not only placed us in the same dorm, but in the same room!”

Both called the differences between the American and Chinese education systems of the time “fasci- nating,” including the emphasis on child develop- ment and the open discussions and asking questions (U.S.) rather than learning via repetition (China).

Helen also spoke about Southern cuisine staples: “I loved the biscuits and the fried chicken,” she chuckled.

At Winthrop, Marian earned a degree in early child- hood education while Helen’s degree was in home economics.

“Winthrop was the best introduction to the United States…because it was a very pleasant and happy experience in learning about new cultures and the foundation of education in the United States,” Marian said.

“The best foundation in becoming a person,” Helen added. “When we first got here, we were still techni- cally children. We developed mentally here.”

“We have had a meaningful, happy, satisfying long life,” Marian continued. “We are forever grateful to Winthrop for giving us the opportunity to succeed. Winthrop will always be in our hearts.”

Marian Chuan Marian studied at the Merrill-Palm- er Institute, where she received a fellowship in infant and child devel- opment. Later, she was an instruc- tor at Yale School of Nursing and earned a Master of Social Work from Columbia University. While at Boston University’s School of Social Work, she developed a National Institute of Mental Health grant and collabo- rated with multiple departments to develop The Children’s Project, for which she earned the Massachusetts National Association of Social Work’s award for the greatest contribution to the social work education field. She later became director of student support services for Concord, Mas- sachusetts, public schools.

Helen Chuan Encouraged by Margaret Hess, for- mer head of Winthrop’s biology de- partment, Helen earned a master’s degree in nursing administration from Yale (receiving a distinguished alumnae award) and eventually another one from Boston University. She spent most of her career teach- ing at Yale-New Haven Hospital. She was one of the founding faculty members of the Southern Connecti- cut College of Nursing.

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