In 1999, American teacher Ronald Sakolsky came to China, where he found acceptance from his school, his students and his fellow teachers. "I just felt part of the Chinese family," he recalls. Years later, seeing images of forests, roads and buildings where he remembers little but desert sand, he marvels at how much has changed. That experience also followed him back into his classroom in the United States, where his firsthand stories helped bring China and its history closer to his students. For Sakolsky, the lesson goes beyond the classroom: If we focus on similarities rather than differences, the whole world can live in peace.