Where Is Destiny From?

The world knows that education is important in China, but some will be surprised that there are two education systems. There is one for the urban and one for the rural areas.  The countryside areas get the poor teachers and the least funding.  Their students tend to be poor later in life and end up doing the same poor jobs as their parents.  When rural children excel in countryside school, their lives and the lives of their families can change for the better. According to “Urban-Rural Extension: Urban-Rural Reproduction among Different Groups of Children” by Han, Jialing, et al.  published in Chinese Education & Society, “The binary urban-rural structure is a fundamental reality of China and constitutes an important structural force in societal development and stratification …” Zhang Ying’s experience moving to the US proves that good education and hard work can change her destiny.

Zhang Ying is from a poor rural village. With the national economic changes, many people from villages like Zhang Ying’s parents moved to Beijing to find better employment opportunities. The farm was not enough to support her family and her parents went to work in the city, leaving her to live with her grandparents.

Her parents sent money for their family’s living expenses and for school supplies. Zhang Ying’s grew up with her grandparents and attended elementary and secondary schools in village.  She said, “In my village there are a lot of kids same as me, their parents work in the city and grandparents take care them.” When she talked about this, her eyes got teary. She said chokingly, “I miss my parents and their love, but over long time they never go back. Missing is missing.” She told me she can understand parents. Her grandparents are old and sick, and she worked hard for her grandparents taking care of them. Sometimes parents come back, but most of time they are working and working for the family and to pay expensive medical bills. Her tone was heavy. She told me about her grandparents passing away. She loved them deeply.

After middle school, Zhang Ying went to high school in Beijing which her parents were living and working. Her city high school career is dazzling.  She sees tall skyscrapers and high-rise buildings while trying hard to keep up with the thoughts and rhythms of urban kids in her class and trying to make up for her own schoolwork and her determination to change her destiny. During high school, every time she feels shame when it is time to pay tuition fees. Her dad always pays the last day of the tuition deadline, so she is always the last one in her class to pay.  She said: “My heart thought: if I went to college, I can earn money myself!”  Until her entrance into college that year, her family was in debt without any savings and her parents' annual income is very low. She told herself “I needed a high admission score plus a lot of money since the tuition, living expenses, and other miscellaneous fees are expensive.” Every month she tried to ask less money from her parents because she has made up h mind: “earn my own living expenses! “

During her junior year college, something changed her destiny. There was a special selection examination for a Singapore college scholarship program that paid for one-year tuition studying finance by the Singapore government. At that point she did not feel like she had to go abroad or do something, but what motivated her was the rich girl whose bed next to her. She was thinking: “Although only a bed apart, but we have entire different life, why and which point worse than hers? Because my parents are not rich second generation so think about studying abroad do not have any chance? I think: No matter what the outcome, I must fight for something!” so, she took the exam.  “At that time, the project has only 13 top universities of china. A total of more than 300 people was enrolled. Only 27 of them were admitted to her college. And Zhang Ying is one of them. She is so proudly described, “Perhaps for my ‘rich-white-beauty’ roommate, Singapore is just a tasteless springboard that sounds far from the United State. However, this is a lifeline for the poor families like mine. If we grasp it, we may be able to reverse life.” And she cleared her throat and deliberately raised her tone to emphasize, “It can be said that this project basically solves all the problems of my family.” She was very excited.  She did not have any issues going to college in Singapore which is same culture. She worked hard and got a good GPA.

A year later, she took the GMAT exam and applied to the best finance college of the world. Ultimately, the University of Minnesota is the best one to continue studying for her finance master’s degree and got offer by her great background and credits. she secretly determined to make a better life in America. As a result, she planned to copy with American culture, classrooms, and teacher-student relationships, she also wanted to stay in the United States after graduation. So, she thought about how to have a good resume for internship in school? She heard that Professor Rich had a finance department research project and was looking for an intern. She thought how to approach him because she never took a class from him. However, at that time she really wanted to fight for this opportunity. She thought: “I am not afraid! No, I'll do my best to learn, be sure to learn in the shortest time!” So, she went to his classroom when he just came out, she rushed up and introduced herself. She explained: “Professor, I really want to participate in your project, I learn quickly, and I am willing to do anything, and I do not want any pay!”  The professor was impressed with her sincerity and energy, so he let her join his project team.

After the internship, Professor Rich has already considered the next step for Zhang. He showed her the Chartered Financial Analyst’s web site and suggested she become a member first and then find a company she wants to work for, because there are many financial activities in this organization, he made recommendations for her. She said, “at that time after I heard about that, I am almost crying. I am so excited.” When she got this list, she felt as she got the "treasure map.” She picked the company that she was interested and started her resume. She applied to over 400 other companies but heard many rejections.

Finally, she received a telephone interview. She interviewed with self-confidence and self-esteem.  She did not know that the interview was conducted in two batches.  The second batch was face-to-face interviews.  And sixty students were competing for this position. The students sat down around a few tables, on her left was one from Harvard and the right one from Yale, Zhang thought this time she was really at a disadvantage. “I thought my interview is really messed up, while the Harvard student next to me got offer without any reason.” She thought, “This pain I feel is same kind of imbalance again.” She told herself “Yes, I went to an ordinary university, how can I compare with students from schools like Harvard? I was sad from the defeat. People need to recognize that they are ordinary people and accept their own limitations. I must accept that some people are born smarter than me”

The next year, she studied harder than ever before in her major and even took a lot of Harvard and Yale electives.  That way I could close to them by sharing the same resources. She explained “I want to race with myself. If I am better than ever before, then it is worthy of recognition. If I lose in the professional knowledge and interview skills, then I will go hard to learn professional knowledge and practice interview skills.” 

Near the time of graduation, she sent out a lot of letters. She received a letter from a soon-to-be-founded financial firm in Illinois saying that their company is hiring an intern and gave her an interview if she had time. She exclaimed “Have time, have time! Of course, I have time! I am waiting for the arrival of this time for two years! Although my heart is so crazy shouting, but still strong and calm but elegant and answered them.” A week later HR's interview invitation came! She said, “This time I know I am ready, I felt a practical and a steady sense of security with a thick resume of information.” She seriously answered HR’s questions. A week later she got the offer of this company!

After entering the workplace experience, she naturally like all the diligent working people, she said, “It can be said that some people to be an ordinary person have been doing their best. I am not a genius nor a strong background, but I am so far away from where I grew up I still out of the country to realize the possibility of my destiny life.”  According to “Hiring a Foreign Wor­­­ker: What Does the Future Hold?” by Goff, Susan T. and Autumn Misiolek Tertin published in Business NH Magazine, it said “…… Under current law, there are 65,000 H-1B visas available each fiscal year, with an additional 20,000 available for recipients of U.S. master’s degrees…….” So, she will continue her PHD degree in same college that will give her more opportunities for H1-B visa.

Zhang is currently working on her PHD program, and the company’s HR will apply H1-B visa for her when they hire her in the future. She has strong self-confidence because of her opportunity education in Singapore and USA, and her hard work. Her future is bright. However, we must believe that every step of our life is not accidental.  At each of these steps we have good education and hard work that makes our future destiny. 

Works Cited

Zhang, Ying. Interview. 8 Mar. 2018.

Han, Jialing, et al. "Urban-Rural Extension: Urban-Rural Reproduction among Different Groups of Children." Chinese Education & Society, vol. 50, no. 4, July 2017, p. 315. EBSCOhost, ihcproxy.mnpals.net/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=126991537&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

Goff, Susan T. and Autumn Misiolek Tertin. "Hiring a Foreign Worker: What Does the Future Hold?" Business NH Magazine, vol. 34, no. 4, Apr. 2017, p. 10. EBSCOhost, ihcproxy.mnpals.net/login? url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=122287691&site=ehost-live&scope=site.