Dear Dad? a Chinese student?s prize-winning letter home

07.05.07

Dear Dad? a Chinese student?s prize-winning letter home

Yu Huai Zhang?s letter home has just beaten over 2,000 other entrants to win him £2,000 and the title of Shine International Student of the Year

His letter begins...

‘Dear Dad,

Do you remember the time when I took a major step in my life, declining an offer from a Chinese university and opting for Queen's University of Belfast? At that time, the UK seemed a totally new world to me! Also, because of three major operations for collapsed lungs within a year, my physique was weak and my personality became introverted. Dad, you were worried about the potential challenges I may face in the UK. However, in this letter you will see how my decision to study in the UK has paved my way to a bright future, allowing me to shine!’

Life-changing experiences
In the letter he was asked to detail his extra-curricular achievements, so, having told how he started by working in at Queen’s accommodation office, Yu Huai goes on to explain how he took on a number of voluntary roles in the university and in the wider community, ending up as an intern with Invest Northern Ireland.

In his own words, these and other experiences ‘helped me transform into an outgoing and confident young man. Thus, I re-named myself “Neo”, Greek for “new”, to express my determination to open a new era in my life...

‘Indeed, Dad, in the UK, I am not what I used to be. I intend to go forward to postgraduate study next year. After that, I want to come home and contribute to our country. I hope that you agree with my choice of the UK and hope you are just a little proud of me. Love you, always. Yu (Neo)’

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