Marja Ritchie
Texas A&M University, Bush School of Government & Public Service
CLASS YEAR: 2024
DISCIPLINE: Master's in International Affairs
Marja Ritchie is pursuing a Master of International Affairs at Texas A&M University’s Bush School of Government and Public Service. In 2016, Marja graduated from Tufts University with a degree in East Asian Studies. While there she was a peer counselor and led the Tufts branch of Liberty in North Korea. She also studied abroad, learning Mandarin at Zhejiang University, and earning the prize for the junior with most improved academics. After graduating and moving to Lishui in China’s Zhejiang province, Marja spent three years teaching a variety of subjects at Lishui University. While there, she developed and taught a western calligraphy course, which she taught in Mandarin. In addition, she translated exhibits and trained staff at the Lishui Museum of Photography. After moving to Taipei in 2019 to teach young learners, she spent time learning Taiwanese Sign Language, Atayal traditional crafts, and also performed with a local community choir. While at the Bush School, Marja is exploring China’s relationships in the Asia-Pacific region.