2006 Scholarship Recipients at Tongren University

Helen is an out going sophomore from a rural faming family of eight people. Grandfather (80), parents, two younger sisters, and two younger brothers. Her parents are uneducated farmers who find it is very difficult to find a job so they “do chores day and night” in order to send his five children to school for study. Helen is editor of English department news-paper and chosen as excellent member of the communist youth league of China. She has an excellent work attitude and helps others in her class.

Update: Helen graduated from Tongren University and now teaches English in one of the multiple Tongren middle school with 57 students in her class.

John is a shy sophomore from broken family. His mother divorced and remarried when he was five years old. John lived with his father until his death in 1999 John, his younger sister and his younger brother were left to rely on each other in an orphanage. John's brother has a bank loan for tuition in a technical college. His sister is a senior in high school in rural area of Tongren prefecture. John works in his spare time teaching three children and gives the money to his sister so she can study in school. John continues to seek part time job to give money to his family. He has a wonderful spirit "because there is love and smile in the world in my heart".

UPDATE 2008: John graduated from Tongren University and is now an English Teacher in the rural city where he went to high school in a city in Tongren Prefecture about four hours from Tongren City.