Written by Lulu Yin
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
In 2025, Tzu Chi Academy San Francisco welcomed several new students, including children who had attended the free Chinese-language classes offered earlier that summer through a collaboration between the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in San Francisco and ten public libraries. For some, these classes rekindled a connection with Tzu Chi spanning two decades.
Parents Recognize Tzu Chi's Educational Philosophy
Four teachers and several volunteers from Tzu Chi Academy San Francisco conducted eight Chinese-language sessions at four public libraries serving diverse communities. In addition to teaching, they introduced Tzu Chi to students and their families. Appreciating the teachers’ and volunteers’ diligence and care, some parents decided to enroll their children in Tzu Chi Academy San Francisco.
On the final day of the classes, August 11, Graeme Mckellar attended with his mother, Sandy Chang. After class, Chang, in tears, said, “So you are from Tzu Chi! I’ve always been so grateful to Tzu Chi.” She explained that 20 years earlier in Hawaii, Tzu Chi volunteers had assisted and cared for her after a bicycle accident. “I never imagined encountering Tzu Chi again on the last day of class. I’m so happy.” That evening, she discussed it with her husband and decided to enroll Graeme at Tzu Chi Academy San Francisco.
Boundless Gratitude for Tzu Chi's Assistance
On September 14, 2025, Sandy Chang, holding her son, Graeme Mckellar, who was wearing his new Tzu Chi Academy uniform, gratefully recounted what happened after her accident in Hawaii years earlier. “This was a really long time ago – over 20 years ago. My mom’s good friend, Eleanor So from San Jose – she’s with Tzu Chi – helped arrange housing for my parents. She also helped get one of the city’s doctors to talk to my doctor to figure out what was going on, because I had a bike accident and my parents didn’t even know I was in Hawaii.”
“I was actually on the Big Island, and they moved me to Honolulu because the doctors there had what I needed. I was intubated, and they were very worried. So, Tzu Chi helped my parents a lot. They prepared everything so my parents could stay comfortably because they didn’t know how long I was going to be there; they picked them up at the airport, took them to the hospital, and helped them with food and housing,” Chang continued. “We feel a lot of gratitude for what she [Eleanor] did for my family – it’s very close to our hearts. And I remember them! When I woke up, I remember them taking us to the airport when I was transferred out. I had been in a coma, so I don’t remember a whole lot.”
Doctors later told Chang that her robust physical fitness and overall good health helped sustain her through the coma and treatment. “My family was terrified at the time, and I was completely unconscious, but my body’s strength sustained me until I woke up,” she said. “Looking back, surviving was truly a miracle, which was achieved through my daily regime and the kind support of so many people.”
We are infinitely grateful for everything Tzu Chi has done for our family, so Tzu Chi holds a very important place in our hearts.
This experience remains deeply etched in Chang’s heart, filling her with enduring gratitude toward Eleanor So and the other Tzu Chi volunteers who helped her family during the critical period after her accident. Now, her connection to Tzu Chi has been rekindled through her son’s enrollment at Tzu Chi Academy San Francisco.
A New Chapter With Tzu Chi Begins
When discussing her son’s Chinese-language education, Sandy Chang admits she initially had no plans to send her son to a Chinese school because “everybody I knew who went to Chinese school when I was growing up hated it.” However, Graeme showed great interest during the last session of the Chinese language classes at a San Francisco public library this summer. He told his mother he wanted to continue.
“I was like, oh, I don’t know. But then, because it’s Tzu Chi, I was like, okay, we can try it,” said Chang. For her, a big part of the reason was trust in Tzu Chi, established years ago when Tzu Chi volunteers helped her family with such kindness and sincerity. Her son now enjoys classes at Tzu Chi Academy San Francisco and affectionately calls it “Chinese summer camp.” He often asks his mother, “Oh, am I going to Chinese camp today?”
“So, we’re back, you know, because of all of our experiences with Tzu Chi,” Sandy Chang concluded. That connection and warmth have made her family’s bond with Tzu Chi one of lasting gratitude and trust.
