A Taiwanese-Vietnamese student from a vocational high school in Keelung City in northern Taiwan secured a full-time undergraduate programme at National Taiwan University through special admission, plus an NT$10,000 scholarship from his alma mater.
Bai Shu-Yu, the eldest son of a Taiwanese father and Vietnamese mother and the big brother to three younger brothers and sisters, came from a low-income working family, The Liberty Times reported.
Since his mother does not understand Chinese, she could not get a job, meaning Bai’s father was the sole breadwinner and needed to work from day till night as a driver to make ends meet.
Bai grew up knowing the importance of an education and how it could help change people’s lives, and his efforts paid off.
Studying at the National Keelung Commercial & Industrial Vocational Senior High School, Bai not only excelled academically but also in sports as a sprinter. He was once a scholarship recipient with the New Taipei City government recognizing his efforts in pursuing knowledge.
Through the Hope admission scheme, Bai would be doing a full-time undergraduate programme at the Department of Forestry and Resource Conservation at National Taiwan University.
His high school on Monday awarded Bai a NT$10,000 scholarship for his persistence in achieving excellence despite adversity.