The Sunshine Social Welfare Foundation on Saturday awarded scholarships to 510 students, including 10 honored as “golden examples.”
One of the 10, Huang Po-yan (黃柏彥), was born with neurofibroma, which has left him with partial hearing loss in his left ear, and, after an eight-hour surgery aimed at curbing the growth of a tumor, only half a tongue.
Despite the challenges he faces, the high-school senior said that he is preparing for the Ministry of Education’s General English Proficiency Test, which includes listening and speaking components.
Photo: Chou Hsiang-yun, Taipei Times
Through extensive speech therapy he has made great progress, and he has already passed several English-language oral tests, the foundation said.
Huang said that he was bullied throughout grade school.
Trying to live a normal life like anyone else meant changing his attitude, he said.
“Every challenge I overcome is another step forward,” Huang said.
Another of the 10 special honorees, Chiu Tzu-en (邱子恩), was caught in an explosion four years ago while walking home that severely burned 36 percent of his body and left him with a ruptured ligament in his left leg.
Chiu’s dream has always been to become an engineer, and he has continued to study for that goal, despite his bandages, which made it hard for him to write, the foundation said.
Studying from his bed and wheelchair, Chiu was determined to graduate on schedule, it said.
“Rather than feel sorry for myself, why not think of a solution to my situation?” he asked.
He passed his university entrance exams and was admitted to National Central University’s computer science and information engineering program.
Chiu said he hopes to develop software applications to benefit society.
Founded in 1981, the foundation helps burn victims and those with from facial disfigurations with rehabilitation to help them return to a normal life.
It began awarding scholarships in 1983, but this was the first year it has recognized special awardees who stand out for their perseverance and positivity in the face of adversity, it said.
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