Thank you very much for inviting me to speak to you tonight.  I want to tell you the story of a girl with a dream – the dream of graduating from an American university.  This is my story.

Imagine being in a foreign country without money or friends.  Imagine not understanding the language or the customs.  Then imagine having a dream – a simple dream, but one that seems so far away… This was the reality I faced five years ago.  There is a Chinese proverb that says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”  When I came to the LVA School, my journey began.

Some people think that a school is just teachers and books and such, but I can tell you that our school is more than that.  To me and people like me it is truly an alma mater – a “nourishing mother” –  a mother who cares for her students, who need her so much.

America is not about change, it is about hope for the future – that tomorrow will be better than today, and that each day will keep getting better.  I am here today to tell you that the LVA School gave me the courage and ability to follow my dream.  More than teaching me English language and academic skills, the teachers and staff there made me believe in myself.  I am proud to say that in June I graduated from college.

I will be forever grateful to them, and to all of you who support this fund, which  has supported the school.