Recently, on Chinese social media, a photo has been circulating showing the contrast between a teenager covered in coal dust and a newly-minted doctor in formal robes. Behind that is a journey full of hardship and extraordinary determination.
From the mines at age 12 to the university lecture hall
The boy was born in 1993 (real name not given), from a poor mountainous district of Hebei province (northern China). From the age of 9, he followed his father to work as a construction worker, and at the age of 12, he started carrying explosives into coal mines. Working in the dark, with toxic gases and explosions coming from underground gradually became normal for him.
The photo captures two contrasting images - a boy with a face blackened by coal dust and a doctor in a neat graduation gown - that has attracted attention on Chinese social media. (Photo: Baidu)
"When my friends were playing soccer, I was tying steel bars at a construction site. When they were studying for their college entrance exams, I was paving asphalt on the Handan Expressway, carrying explosives at the Jincheng Mine, and digging coal in Hongqinghe...", the new doctorate candidate wrote in his thesis at Beijing University of Technology (China).
Despite his hard life, the "coal miner boy" still dreamed of going to school. After taking the university entrance exam twice, he finally got into a technical college. That was the starting point for a journey of many years of continuous study, from college to university, then graduate school, and then a doctoral program in mining engineering.
Although he was not the best student in his class and did not have the opportunity to take extra classes, the young man was persistent in his chosen goal. During the summer vacations, instead of resting or going out, the male student worked many jobs: a lathe operator at a Shanghai electronics factory, a steel-tying worker at a chemical factory, a dishwasher for hire, or a cleaner in the dormitory.
“The first phone in my life was a gift from a roommate. The two pairs of pants I wore until the day of my thesis defense, one was left by a friend,” he mentioned all those simple details in the “Acknowledgements” section of his doctoral thesis, touching many people.
"I remember every strand of noodle you put in my bowl, every piece of orange you shared with me. I will never forget this debt of gratitude in my life."
In his thesis, the new doctor expressed his gratitude to 46 people, from his supervisor, a civil engineer, former classmates to strangers who helped him on his life path.
He writes about his parents, who were illiterate but sacrificed their lives to give him an education. He mentions the engineers who guided him through the cold on a TBM (tunnel boring machine) and his girlfriend, who stood by him when he had nothing but determination.
Immediately after being spread, the article caused a strong stir in the Chinese online community. Millions of people read and shared it, not only because of the young man's remarkable achievements but also because of his spirit of not giving up in the face of circumstances, which was expressed truthfully and simply through each word.
According to Baidu, the media immediately sought an interview, but the doctor only replied: "If what I wrote can inspire students, then please spread it." In a response message to the reporter, he said: "My life is very good now, but due to the specific nature of my profession, it is not convenient for me to accept interviews."
On online forums, among countless comments, many people call him a "living proof" of a simple yet powerful truth: The starting point does not determine the finish line, the most important thing is to keep moving forward.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/hanh-trinh-tu-chang-boc-than-tro-thanh-tien-si-khien-trieu-nguoi-cam-phuc-ar955433.html
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