Scholarship Recipients: Class of 2017

Wendy: Her Chinese name is Wen Wanzhen. Wendy is an English major who comes from a small village in Guizhou about 3 hours by bus from Tongren. She feels much support and encouragement from her parents and smaller brother. She says, "The villagers don't pay much attention to the girls' education". Her parents encourage her to get a good education even though they do not have much money. Her parents have great expectation of her. She says, "They want me to be a better person". Recent health issue with her mother has drained their savings. Wendy says, "I feel so sorry for my poor and hard-working parents. I know it’s time to act as an adult. I will work hard."

Chloe: Her Chinese name is Zhengli. English is her major. There are five people in her family (parents, brother, sister, and Chloe.) Her parents are farmers with little culture knowledge, working on their farm for a living. Her brother is a university student in Guizhou Finance and Economics University. Her sister is a Grade-Nine student in a middle school. Because of the China's policy of returning farmland to forests, her family's living conditions have become more and more difficult . In order to get her brother, sister and herself to study in a good environment, her parents' burden is heavier and heavier and they own a big debt to the relatives. Chloe is from the countryside in Songtao County. She is Miao nationality. She likes outdoor activity, such as climbing mountains and playing basketball in her spare time with friends.

Jason: His Chinese name is Liang Yongxing. He is a shy young man who is a History major . His hometown is located in Shiqian County in Tongren Prefecture, a beautiful place known for the hot springs. He is from Dong nationality. There are two people in his family; he and his younger brother. He enjoys basketball, chess, swimming, hiking, and reading at the library. He says, "Learning is a life time process from which we get great benefits." He enjoys studying both English and history because he is interested in both of the subjects. He says, "Maybe one day I will combine both of them and apply them to my research".

Catherine: Her Chinese name is Xiong Ya. English is her major. Catherine comes from the remote Tongren countryside. Her parents are farmers with three children in school. Her family is Han. Her family has accumulated heavy expenses with ill health of her grandmother (cancer), sister (auto accident), taking their entire family savings plus amassing large loans. In school, Catherine always has a good relationship with others. She studies hard and won the first in her class last term. She took a part-time job during vocation to reduce her family's burden. As a result of the scholarship, she says she "will study harder and try my best to repay others for their help in future".

Jessica: Her Chinese is Fan Qian. She is pre-school education major with many friends. Her friends said "She is a positive, optimistic and warm-hearted girl" There are five in her family including a younger sister in college and a younger brother. She was born in a small town in Jiangxi province and a member of the Han nationality. She says in China, there is an aphorism saying that "the tree craves calm, but the wind will not subside; while the children would like to support their parent, but parents have already passed away before their children are able to and desire to support them". So she will seize every minute to make efforts to realize her dream. She has enjoyed English since early days in primary school and likes to listen to English music, watch American dramas, and read English articles to improve her spoken English. Taylor Swift is one of her favorite foreign singers.