Caleb Leonard and his mother travel to China for the first time. [Photo/chinanews.com.cn]

For Caleb Leonard, a freshman at Duke Kunshan University in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, his bond with China started long before he ever arrived in the country.

Leonard, from Tucson, Arizona, in the United States, began learning Chinese at age five. "It was my parents' decision," he said. "They had never been to China, but they realized the country was developing rapidly and offered many opportunities."

At the time, few students around him were studying Chinese, which ultimately became an advantage. From elementary school through high school, Leonard remained dedicated to the language and ultimately became the first non-native student in his hometown to receive a Chinese Gold Biliteracy Certification.

As he was getting ready to graduate from high school, Leonard saw an option on the application form for Duke University asking whether applicants would consider studying at its campus in China — Duke Kunshan University. Curious to learn more about the country, he traveled to China with his mother in April 2025.

That trip confirmed his decision to study there.

In October of that year, Leonard returned to China as a newly admitted student at Duke Kunshan University. His family joined him on a trip to Shanghai and Nanjing, a journey that made a lasting impression. "We've already created a new family tradition," he said. "Around the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival each year, we plan to travel to China together."

Soon after arriving on campus, Leonard faced another challenge: he was selected as a student representative to speak at the university's opening ceremony. To prepare, he reached out to more than 400 classmates from around the world to learn about their personal stories.

"Through their stories, I saw everyone's unique connection with China and gained a deeper understanding of what a global community really means," he said.

When Leonard finally stepped onto the stage to deliver his speech, it was late at night in the US. Still, his family and friends stayed up to watch the livestream.

Now studying hard with the goal of becoming a neurosurgeon, Leonard's journey with China may soon become a shared family path. His younger brother, who has also been learning Chinese since childhood, has applied to Duke Kunshan University as well.