Fund 1000 Scholarships in Rural China for a Year

In this report, we are happy to introduce you to Belinda, an inspiring SOAR alumna from a rural family in Hunan Province. We are glad to see a shy girl becoming a confident college leader and future talent.

Belinda’s family consists of her mom, dad, younger sister, and her, which was once a poverty-stricken household documented in the government. Her parents did not have the opportunity to get enough school education and can only farm at home; they also go out to do part-time jobs in their spare time to subsidize the family. The annual income of the family is not more than 30,000 RMB Yuan, which is around $4,000.

Since elementary school, she has been receiving poverty scholarships. Because of her hard work and good grades, she was admitted to the best middle school in her county. Knowing her family’s situation, her teacher at the middle school recommended her to apply for the SOAR Scholarship and she got it in 2017. The SOAR Scholarship supported her since then for her high school and college. The on-time delivery of scholarship has brought great help to her family and has enabled her to pursue her education dream smoothly.

While the story till now is just a typical story of every SOAR awardee, the more exciting part in her story is that Belinda heartedly feels that SOAR Scholarship not only helps her financially but more importantly, also inspires her spiritually.

According to Belinda, she used to be a very introverted girl with low self-esteem. When she faces the unknown and challenges, her first reaction is always “I can't do it” “I can't do it well”. Even though she really wanted to try, she always dared not fight for the opportunity because of lack of self-confidence, and in the end, the opportunity slipped away and she could only admire others silently.

When Belinda started undergraduate studies in the top-tiered Sun Yat-sen University, she was also granted SOAR’s college scholarship. Knowing her situations, SOAR’s volunteers reached out to her to help. SOAR volunteers encouraged her to try, and helped her to review and improve the difficulties she encountered in study and life. She was also recommended by one volunteer to read Sheryl Sandberg's book "One Step Forward" and she was deeply inspired by the sentences in the book.

"No matter how many times you have fallen down, as long as you dare to take a step forward, you will definitely be able to step into the future you want."

"The most important thing in life is to keep moving forward, no matter what challenges you meet. One step forward, you will eventually become your own hero".

These words in the book impressed the inner fragile self of Belinda deeply and she began to become firm, become confident, able to fight for the opportunity to be brave, able to face the imperfection of their own.

Now Belinda is a senior in environmental engineering. During her college years, she participated in many activities, such as scientific research competitions of schools and colleges, on-campus and off-campus volunteer services, and so on, and served as a planner, moderator, and many other jobs, constantly improving her abilities in various aspects.

Belinda says, “When I look back, I feel very fortunate that I have been helped by the SOAR Scholarship for so many years, so that I don't have to worry about my studies. At the same time, I am also very proud that I have not forgotten my original intention and lived up to the expectation of SOAR, and that I have tried to be a person who can help other people while I continue to improve myself. Thank you very, very much SOAR! I wish the SOAR family is getting better and better! “

As we share Belinda's remarkable journey, we invite you to reflect on the incredible impact of your support. Each contribution, each act of kindness, and each moment of encouragement have collectively led to heartwarming and inspiring stories like Belinda's, among the 16,000 students supported over 28 years of SOAR – stories of growth, resilience, and a heartfelt commitment to making a difference. Thank you and we invite you to remain on board to hear more stories of these future talents!