Gentle and mild in appearance, Anny Sun is rather independent. Born in Taiwan, she accompanied her mother to Dharma ceremonies in Buddhist temples as a child. She came to study in the United States at thirteen, graduating from the University of California (UC), Berkeley. Joining UC's Chinese Buddhist Society, she became interested in Buddhism and often visited the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Later she joined the Round Table Discussion on Tuesdays at the World Religions Institute in Berkeley. These discussions led by Dr. Verhoeven and others focused on how to apply Buddhism to daily life. They provided to-the-point explanations of how Dharma relates to life. For instance, the relationship with parents was one of the topics. While Easterners tend to accept tradition, Westerners like to examine life. This seminar attracted over a dozen university students who were Westerners. Each seminar opened up new doors for Anny and benefited her tremendously.

Although she majored in Business administration, her heart was in education. Thus, she was at a loss after graduating last summer. To study the Buddhadharma and give herself some time to reflect, she came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas as a volunteer dorm counselor, teacher of math and English as a Second Language, and tutor. Students benefited greatly from her gentle manner, fluent English, and enthusiastic explanations. She was also an indispensable translator and minutes-taker at school meetings.

After half a year at the City, Anny now sees herself more clearly in relation to the world. Originally, she felt inadequate for the noble, sacred work of education. However, the actual experience of teaching has impressed upon her the importance of education, and she feels that as long as she sets her heart upon a goal, she can overcome all difficulties. Filled with hope, Anny has decided to pursue graduate studies in elementary education and devote herself to this field. We hope she soon realizes her goal.