Michael Allen is currently a student a Brigham Young University - Idaho in Rexburg, Idaho. His studies began in Chemistry, migrated to Organizational Communications, and then with the termination of that program, switched to the newly founded Industrial/Organizational Psychology major. His goal is to work in the Management Consulting industry.
His zeal for international encounters started with choral tour as a member of the Iowa Youth Chorus. In the summer of 2003 their top choir traveled to Bremen, Germany to compete in the World Choir Olympics. A much deeper appreciation for experience another culture came as a part of his serving a full-time proselyting mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salta, Argentina, where he lived for 22 months.
Michael's current exploration in China is the culmination of passion and purpose. Close to when he was going to return to the states from Argentina, Michael was weighing the options of an international career and came to the logical conclusion of a focus on China. With abundant natural and human resources, China is poised for tremendous growth, a ride that he doesn't want to miss. He goes with his wife, Lacey Allen, who served a full-time mission for the same church in Kaoshiung, Taiwan, thus the pursuit of Mandarin language acquisition is certainly mutual.
Though not an international experience, Michael toured to Alaska with the Collegiate Singers from BYU-Idaho in the summer of 2009. While there, he met an Aleutian native, who shared a traditional lullaby of mother's singing to their children as they did the washing. He recorded the video and it has been steadily receiving increased views on YouTube. Realizing that those few minutes of capture have proven to be precious bits of legacy for Aleutians all over the world, he has decided to use his experiences and opportunities to capture the wonders around the world, and hopefully to provide occasional insight into the lesser-seen but ever-so-valuable facets of a culture.
Michael now travels to Beijing where he and his wife Lacey, along with a group of students from BYU-Idaho will be studying at Capital Normal University in an intensive Mandarin training program.
He will be leave for Beijing from Seattle in August and return to the states just before Christmas.
Join Michael on his journeys, where he experiences the world at large through the lens of an Midwestern American, a student, a husband, and a curious explorer.
