An emotional farewell to 'grandma'

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A very emotional farewell was recently seen on a school campus in east China. Many students were shedding tears and taking turns hugging their beloved English teacher, Esther Snader before her retirement and return to the U.S.

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After teaching English in Anqing Normal University for almost 20 years, Esther has developed an incredibly harmonious relationship with her students. She not only put forth every effort in her work despite some health issues, but Esther also built a library in her living room for her students. She collected thousands of books and magazines for them to practice their English skills.

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“There were limited volumes of English books in the school’s library when I firstly came here,” recalled Esther. “I would buy books and send them back to China when I took the summer break back to the U.S. every time.”

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Her family and friends totally support her with such a dedication, according to Esther. She would request books whenever someone would ask what gift she wanted for Christmas or her birthday – just to enrich the collection of the library for her students.

The library was also used as an English corner every Wednesday afternoon, so that her students could get a chance to practice their communication skills after class.

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Other than the daily job of teaching, Esther has also helped nine poverty-stricken students generously with her own money, and encouraged her friends in the U.S. to join in as well.

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Esther came to Anhui from Pennsylvania back in 1998 and has been honored with quite a few awards for her extraordinary work throughout the years. Students have been intimately calling Esther “Grandma” as a nickname, which she’s very proud of.