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By Gabe Whisnant
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Democrat Kamala Harris' presidential running mate, has a deep connection to China as an educator.
In 1989, Walz earned a B.S. in social science education from Chadron State College in his native Nebraska. According to the Lincoln Journal Star, Walz also took classes in East Asia Studies at the University of Houston in 1985.
Following his graduation, the Minnesota governor and former Congressman spent approximately one year teaching high school in China as part of Harvard University's WorldTeach program. Walz was among the first government-sanctioned groups of American educators to teach in China.
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Also a longtime member of the Army National Guard, Walz taught American history, culture and English to Chinese high school students, according to reports.
"Going there was one of the best things I've ever done," he told the Nebraska National Guard's newspaper after his return from China.
Five years later, Walz and his wife, Gwen, who is also a teacher, spent their honeymoon in China. The pair spent their trip leading two high school tour groups, according to the Journal Star.
In 1994, the Walz's set up a company called Educational Travel Adventures, Inc., which organized annual student trips to China, according to business records reviewed by Newsweek. Gwen Walz's biography states that she and the vice presidential hopeful organized these trips until 2003.
Newsweek emailed the Harris campaign and Walz's office for comment Tuesday afternoon.
Gwen Walz grew up in Minnesota and graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College and Minnesota State University. After graduation, she taught English in western Nebraska, where the couple met. Later, she served as an administrator and coordinator for the Mankato Area Public Schools in Minnesota, according to records reviewed by Newsweek.
At the Mankato Area Public Schools, Tim Walz taught social studies classes and helped coach the school's football team.
Walz has served as governor of Minnesota since 2019. He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota's 1st Congressional District from 2007 to 2019.
In 2018, Walz defeated Republican challenger Jeff Johnson to win Minnesota's gubernatorial election.
Gwen has played a crucial role in advocating for educational reform and wellness initiatives across the state of Minnesota. She has also worked with the Bard Prison Initiative in Upstate New York, which assists incarcerated people to access and afford higher education.
Shortly after news broke that her husband was picked as Harris' vice presidential candidate, Gwen spoke at the Minnesota Department of Education Back-to-School conference.
"Every student deserves a high-quality education, regardless of background or zip code," she said, according to Wilmar Public Schools Superintendent Bill Adams.
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