The Speaker

At 13, she was forced to live and work in the countryside, along with 16 million others displaced during the Cultural Revolution. She was hungry; there was little food, she was separated from her parents. For three and a half years she lived away from her family out in the countryside. She got up with the sun each morning and during the summer, she worked in the fields 14-15 hours each day. All the work was done by hand. One summer, there was a terrible drought and even the well went dry. Using a sibling's text books, she studied at night using an oil lamp. When the universities finallly reopened, she took the test, and was #1 from all the students in the countryside. 106 people applied to get into the school, and 4 were accepted. She was able to attend university and then to go to Chicago. Today, she works for an engineering firm in Salt Lake City.

Her story was dramatic, poignant, honest, and a reminder of what a great blessing freedom is.