2009 Scholarship Recipients at Tongren University

	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.
	Butterfly: she chose the name because "she wants to be free". She likes freedom, and wants to fly while the butterfly. Her birthday is March 8th. from Yanlong ,Huaihua, Hunan province. When she was 13 years old, her father, a primary school teacher, died. Now there is her mother and younger sister. "I am a positive person, though my family is not rich. "She wants to have several part-time jobs to support herself. She is always very busy and exhausted but I still feel happy. She enjoys playing badminton, climbing mountain and traveling. She loves languages, though it is a difficult task. In the future. She wants to be a good teacher and use her knowledge to help others.
	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.
	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.
	Hancy: comes from a countryside in Hunan province. There are five people in her family of famers; her parents, her older sister and 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."
	Hector: Chinese name is Zhang He, was born on June 24th 1988 in Hubei Province. When he was nine, his parents abandoned him and his two sisters because of illness. Their uncle provided a home for the three of them. His elder sister is working and younger sister studies in a high school. Life is not easy for us. During the holidays Hector took jobs to earn money. He loves English when he start to learn it and he is very interested in the culture difference between English speaking countries and China. Hector is a good university student with positive attitude to succeed.
	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.
	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.
	Jessica: Chinese name is Xie Guihua, comes from a small village where is not far away from Tongren. She lies with her parents who are farmers, grandfather, a younger sister and brother. Her grandfather is blind for many years. Her father has stomach trouble and skin disease that always make his body itch. Without education, they can’t find a good job. They want their kids to have a good education; her sister studies in middle school and younger brother studies in primary school. Jessica knows all too well that only study can change her fate and the poverty. So she studies hard. When she was in high school she got a scholarship. Though it just 200 yuan ($30), she felt so happy because it's her first time to get money by hardworking. At that time, she knew study was the most important. "I never gave up. I'm not perfect, but I can do my best. I think I’m a lucky dog to get this scholarship and I'll try my best to study."
	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.
	Lucky: Chinese name is Xie Dongmei, a senior, was born in Jan. 12th, 1987, comes from Shuang Cheng, Bijie, which lies in the west of Guizhou Province. She has two sisters and her parents whom are without work. One younger sister a freshman in Chongqing Commercial University and the other is in High school. The tuition fees are very serious and a very heavy burden. As a student of the English Department, she knows oral English is very useful and important. Everyday she practices oral English especially. You can tell she enjoys speech very much, both English speech and Chinese speech. She is the president of the speech club in her department. She wants to be a good lecturer and a good English and Chinese teacher to the foreign friends.
	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.
	May: born July 14, 1989, comes from a small village in Hubei province with a farming family including a younger brother. Her mother’s health is not very good and they own a large debt. She says, "Though we poor, we are still happy because all the family members love each other very much." When she was a child she helped her parents work in the fields. She knows the hardship as a farmer and determined to study hard and support her family in the future. During those years she studied very hard receiving good marks. She likes English very much so she choose English as her major. When she is free, she enjoys listening to music, watching movies, reading books, or chatting with her. In her own words, "I keep the grateful in my daily life. I want to repay the people who helped me in the society. So When I graduated I will go back to my hometown to be an English teacher."
	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.
	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.
	Richard: Born September 10, 1987, came from a rural household with six people including his parents ,two younger sisters and one brother. With little income his sisters dropped out of school in an early age . Richard and his brother continued in school through the hard work of his parents in the fields. In his own words, "Rome wasn't built in a day. Work hard and practice more. Your hard work will be rewarded by God."
	Rosin: Chinese name Ran Qianfang is a college student at Tongren University. She comes from a remote country in Tongren, Yan he. She has an old sister, younger brother and loves her parents who are both uneducated farmers. In 2009 her mother took ill costing over 35,000 RMB ($5,300) making their family poorer and bringing much hardship. Her old sister went out to earn money to relieve my parents burden. Her brother studies in high school. They just have 700 RMB ($110) to support themselves each month, so they borrow from our friends and relatives. Many times, she cries. Rosin knows there is no choice except studying hard for she knows knowledge can change their fate.
	Summer: from one of those families with income level below the declared poverty level of less than $120 per year. Summer is an outgoing girl, but sometimes she become very silent. She likes singing and dancing. She was born January 28,1990 from the town of Wen Jiadian, Sinan County in Guizhou Province. She has a twin sister. Her parents rely on running a small shoe shop to support their livelihood. In 2008 their hometown was flooded by the electrical damn built. Now their town is covered with water. They did not have the money to build a home so now they live in a very narrow room. Her parents are uneducated and continue to get more in debt as the economy grows. As a child she dreamed to become an outstanding teacher. She knows it is very difficult if her dreams should come true. She has a wonderful attitude and continually does well in her studies.