2009 Scholarship Recipients at Tongren University

	Joan is from Tongren where she lives with her Aunt. She has two older brothers. Her father and mother died in an accident when she was three years old. Her aunt and uncle adopted her and treated her as her as their own, then her uncle died of cancer when she was ten. Now her aunt is in failing health and Joan takes care of her while attending the University. Recently Joan received second prize in the Olympic English Contest and received prizes during the English festival. Her birthday is November 14, 1988. Joan is from the Dong minority.
	Penny is quiet natured who frequently shows her academic excellence in winning first prizes; English speech contest in English Festival, Chinese speech contest in English Festival, Study Notes Contest, “China Union Cup” in 2007. She was born in LouDi City, Hunan province August 23, 1989. Penny’s father was one of eight children when her grandfather died when her father was nine. She credits both her mother and father for her optimistic view on life and determination to overcome obstacles and learn from difficult situations. Penny has learned to draw upon the strength, power and energy to overcome life’s challenges.
	Mandy comes from a small village of Guo Liang, DaZu County, Chongqing. Clearly she has demonstrated her journalist skills with one of the best written scholarship applications ever received. She subscribes to an English weekly to increase here vocabulary. In her spare time she goes to the library to read all kinds of books, newspapers and magazines. Her family consists of her mother and father, both of poor health, and an older sister who is enrolled in Xi Chang College in Sichuan and a younger bother. Mandy has joined the Communist party of China and active in teaching poor children in the countryside as a volunteer. Birthday is December 16, 1987.
	Jack has quickly shown his leadership as the minister of the propaganda society of the English department. He comes from a remote village, Donghuang in Xishui county, Guizhou. His uneducated father is disabled from an accident while his mother, also uneducated, works hard to support the family of five. His older brother is unskilled while his younger sister studies hard in high school. After high school graduation, Jack’s family home burnt down and his younger sister died. Jack was forced to work for two years selling tofu, bread, then as a waiter in a hotel. The experience taught him the importance of an education, of studying English and teaching children at a nearby orphanage. After the 2008 earth quake, he donated blood for the victims. His goal: a university professor. Birthday December 2, 1985.
	Michelle comes from a remote and poor village in Hubei province where her uneducated parents are farmers, Her grandparents and parents are in ill health unable to afford sufficient medical care. Her mother recently experienced stomach cancer and continues to linger. It is their family wish that she and her younger bother obtain a education and become successful. School officials recognized their situation and allowed Michelle to continue in school. Michelle has a very tender heart and easy going and helps others who are “in a bad situation”. Her goals to succeed and pay back society. She is a wonderful leader, received many awards and academic excellence. Her birthday is October 12, 1987.
	Chim is extremely enthusiastic student from the Tujia ethnic minority (the same village as Oliver and Candy). His mother divorced when he was five and in order to live, left for Guangzhou to find work. His brother went with his mother. Chim’s father is out of work because the factory closed down, so he does odd jobs to survive. In his family, no one has a steady job to provide income. While studying at the University, Chim has a part-time job at a private English school tutoring students studying English.
	Amen is our first scholarship for a high school student in remote Shiqian city (known for it famous hot springs). We learned that John, one of our University scholarship students, had to work part-time while going to school just to pay for room and board to keep Amen in Middle School (high school). The $200 high school scholarship pays for the dormitory and food while she is living at school. There are no buses and she can not walk each day the 90 minute drive to her remote village. Amen was orphaned when she was 6 and her brother John watches out for her.
	Hancy comes from a countryside in Hunan province. There are five people in her family of famers: her parents, her older sister, her younger brother. They make a living by working in the field. Her older sister and a younger brother did not attend school after junior school because lack of money. Her parents could not pay so much money for three children to study. Hancy was very lucky. "At that time, I realized I should study hard, it's my duty.”
	Gabby come from a small village named Yan He. There are six people in her family; grandfather, grandmother, father, mother and brother. Her grandfather's eye sight decreased quickly and her grandmother is not in good health. Her mother is a farmer with high blood pressure when she was born. Her father is a junior school teacher in her village and his salary does not support the whole family. Gabby's brother entered college in the same year as her.
	Helen is an out going student 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.