Support Girls' Education in Rural China

At SOAR, we're overjoyed to share the incredible journey of every girl we support, knowing that each success story not only changes her life but also has the potential to uplift countless other village girls. Your generosity has an amazing power to multiply these opportunities and fuel the dreams of promising talents. In this report, we're thrilled to introduce you to Laney, a girl from Shaanxi Province, China. She will attend graduate school in the fall of 2024, majoring in journalism at Xi’an Jiaotong University, a prestigious university in China.

Below is the translation of her recent letter to fellow young SOAR awardees, sharing her experiences and advices.

Dear SOAR Teachers and Fellow Students,

Greetings!

Reflecting on my encounter with SOAR during middle school, it has been over a decade. I have grown from an inexperienced teenager into a prospective master’s degree student, ready to take charge of my own life. However, I know that life’s journey is long, and climbing this mountain might just be the beginning of a new start. This letter is mainly to express my gratitude to the SOAR Foundation. SOAR has not only provided financial support, enabling me to complete my undergraduate studies successfully, but also, the dedication and responsible attitude of the SOAR teachers have made me believe that the world is always full of kindness. Additionally, I want to share some useful insights from my learning process, hoping to bring some inspiration and sharing to the younger students.

To the students in middle and high school, I hope you can take the foundational knowledge in your textbooks seriously, as 80% of the points in the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao) are based on fundamental knowledge. This does not mean you should limit yourself to extracurricular knowledge, but rather, a solid foundation will enable better understanding when expanding your knowledge. Moreover, during this critical period when your values are gradually forming, strive to find positive friends and actively bring positive energy to others. Friends are the people closest to you besides your parents. There are many outstanding people around me; they are now in various fields, and we learn from each other, hoping to “meet at the top” in the future.

To the undergraduate students, I hope you can create clear goals for yourselves. Compared to high school, you might experience a significant shock in university, as students from across the country, and even the world, study at the same institution, making you feel uneasy about peer pressure. My suggestion is to have more conversations with teachers and mentors who are very experienced, and you can discuss career development plans.

First-year students should strive to improve their GPA and not neglect their studies amidst numerous extracurricular activities and events. Second-year students can evaluate their first-year performance; if your grades are good and you have a high chance of securing a recommendation for graduate school, it’s best to stabilize your GPA. If your class is highly competitive, you might need to seek alternative paths. Third-year students intending to enter the workforce directly should seek internship opportunities during winter and summer vacations. Fourth-year students are required to have internships during specific periods. Additionally, students preparing for the graduate entrance exam should start preparing in the second semester of their third year, as the exam is held in late December of their fourth year, requiring extensive preparation time.

In summary, these are my heartfelt words to the younger students. In this rapidly changing era, we must bridge our information gap to view the world with a long-term perspective and keep pace with it. Always remember that relying on yourself increases your chances of success.

Finally, I would like to express my gratitude again to SOAR and all the donors and volunteers. I will move forward resolutely with your expectations.

Sincerely yours,

Laney

Laney is one of the fortunate girls supported by SOAR, who now enjoys a life different from her parents' routine due to her education. Decades ago, it was extremely rare for a rural girl to enter graduate school and excel in her field. But with your support, we can help more girls like Laney realize their dreams. We invite you to continue supporting SOAR's mission to envision a future where young girls from remote villages are guided toward academic excellence and empowerment. Together, we plant the seeds for a world where dreams know no bounds and every deserving individual has the opportunity to soar to unprecedented heights.