Primary school dropout who waited tables for years now a PhD student whose amazing journey has motivated millions on Chinese social media
- A Chinese woman’s story of going from a poor primary school dropout to a PhD student at a top Hong Kong university has inspired mainland social media
- The woman credits a chance conversation with a stranger who told her she was smart and could do more with her life
A 30-year-old Chinese woman who dropped out after finishing primary school due to her family’s poor financial situation and spent years as a migrant worker before landing a place at a Hong Kong university as a PhD student has inspired millions in China.
The second-year PhD student at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), identified by the nickname Xiaoxiao, has been under the spotlight recently for sharing her “special growth timeline” on mainland social media, The Paper reported.
“I haven’t seen a second case like me who dropped out of school so early but got a chance to study for a PhD degree,” Xiaoxiao said.
“On the one hand, I think I am so marvellous for having a low starting point but reaching the same height as many people whose starting point is much higher than mine. On the other hand, thanks to my father, who brought me to Beijing, where he worked as a migrant worker, I could access the computer and online information. Otherwise, I would never have thought of studying at a university,” she added.
Xiaoxiao was born in a rural family in northern China’s Hebei province. After graduating from primary school, her father told her not to go to school any more but to earn money for the family.