City News reported on July 27 in Hacienda Heights that the 11th College Alliance Songzhumei Scholarship Award Ceremony was held at St. Mark's Lutheran Church and School in Hacienda Heights. This scholarship was sponsored by the Southern California Chinese College Alumni Association Alliance (hereinafter referred to as the College Alliance) and the College Alliance Education Foundation, led by the Southern California Alumni Association of Jiaotong University, co-organized by the American Alumni Association of Xidian University, the Southern California Alumni Association of Shandong University, and the Southern California Alumni Association of Sun Yat-sen University, and co-sponsored by 11 alumni associations, and supported by 13 alumni associations.
Guo Zhiqiang, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, delivered a speech
Guo Zhiqiang, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, accepts interviews from major media reporters
Mr. Guo Zhiqiang, Deputy Consul General of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, Ms. Wang Qun, Consul of the Education Department, Ms. Judy Chu, Congresswoman, Mr. George He, representative of California State Treasurer Stephen Ma, Mr. Ding Yanyu, San Gabriel City Councilman; a team of eight led by Ms. Carol Cheow, CEO of this year's title sponsor Canguo Foundation, and Mr. Zhang Tieliu, silver sponsor Ms. Vickie Zhang, principal of Feida Education, Ms. Wendy Weng, CEO of love sponsor Xinli International Education, and Ms. Zhang Xiaoli, Chairman of the Parent Executive Committee of the Franklin Foundation, and Ms. Li Yifei, personal sponsor and Executive Vice President of the Taishan Sports Association of Los Angeles; as well as past presidents and chairmen of the university alliance, representatives of member alumni associations, and about 50 guests attended the award ceremony; the number of people attending the award ceremony exceeded 300, and 93 Chinese students in Southern California were awarded scholarships or grants.
Deputy Consul General Guo Zhiqiang said that he was particularly happy to attend the 11th Songzhumei Scholarship Award Ceremony of the University Alliance. On behalf of Consul General Guo Shaochun of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, he congratulated the event on its complete success. He said that the University Alliance has held scholarship-awarding activities for the 11th consecutive year, which is a great support for education in Southern California. He expressed warm congratulations to the award-winning students and wished that the Songzhumei Scholarship Award Ceremony would become better and better.
Congresswoman Judy Chu delivering a speech
Congresswoman Judy Chu presents a congratulatory letter. From left: Zhang Ming, Carol Cheow, Judy Chu, Li Shan, Lisa Liu, Vickie Zhang
This year's award ceremony attracted more than 300 people, and a total of 93 Chinese students in Southern California were awarded scholarships or grants. The scholarship received 216 valid applications, and 90 students were awarded scholarships, with a winning rate of 41.67%. The grant received 8 valid applications, and 3 college freshmen were awarded grants, with a winning rate of 37.5%. The specific situation of each scholarship group is as follows:
Primary school group: 46 valid applications were received and 18 students were awarded, accounting for 39.13%.
Junior high school group: 76 valid applications were received, and 32 students were awarded, accounting for 42.11%.
High school group: 94 valid applications were received and 40 students were awarded, accounting for 42.55%.
University Group: 8 valid applications were received, and 3 freshmen were awarded, accounting for 37.5%.
San Gabriel City Councilman Ding Yanyu delivered a speech
San Gabriel City Councilman Ding Yanyu presented certificates of commendation to representatives of the organizers and sponsors
Li Shan, the chairperson of the organizing committee of this scholarship program, the president of the university alliance, and an alumnus of Xidian University, said in an interview with the media that "the establishment of the Song, Zhu, and Mei Scholarship is intended to encourage and enhance the academic performance and social participation of Chinese children, and to encourage them to better integrate into American society, thereby enhancing their competitiveness in the United States. The program rewards outstanding Chinese students and encourages them to create and obtain opportunities through fair competition, personal efforts, and self-improvement, rather than relying on skin color or racial quotas. Through this program, we hope to convey the concept of social responsibility to the next generation, cultivate their sense of responsibility, and encourage them to work with us to strive for fairer treatment and educational opportunities for Chinese Americans in the United States.
Li Shan, president of the University Alliance, delivered a speech
Li Shan, president of the University Alliance, accepted interviews from major media reporters
Zhang Ming, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Chairman of the University Alliance Education Foundation, reported on the work of the organizing committee. On behalf of this organizing committee, he expressed his warmest congratulations to the students and parents who received the scholarships, and expressed his most sincere gratitude to the title sponsor, all the participating sponsoring institutions, caring people, alumni associations, as well as the guests and people from all walks of life who attended. More companies and groups are welcome to participate in the foundation project to jointly promote the development of Chinese students in Southern California in the United States. Zhang Ming focused on introducing the key points of the innovation of this scholarship program to the guests as follows:
1. The unified project name is "College Alliance Songzhumei Scholarship", and the scope of the recipients covers primary school students to college students, that is, the scholarship is for students in grades G1-G12, and the scholarship is for college students.
2. Expand the scope of funded students to include Chinese students who have settled in Southern California.
3. Add extra points for speaking Chinese to encourage Chinese students to pay attention to Chinese and strengthen the inheritance of Chinese culture.
4. The Foundation will establish a new review committee and implement expert review of scholarships and grants.
5. Introduce a mechanism for alumni associations to participate as co-organizers/supporters, and give them a sense of honor in co-organizing charitable and public welfare projects.
6. A new "special targeted donation" scholarship + option is established. This encourages donors to select Chinese college students according to their wishes and provide targeted financial assistance to their college studies until graduation.
Zhang Ming, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Chairman of the University Alliance Education Foundation, delivered a speech
Zhang Ming, Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Chairman of the University Alliance Education Foundation, was interviewed by reporters from major media outlets
In his speech, Deputy Consul General Guo Zhiqiang of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles praised the innovative measures of the 11th Songzhumei Scholarship, which combines scholarships and grants into one, achieving the effect of 1+1 greater than 2. He particularly mentioned the project initiated by China to invite 50,000 outstanding American teenagers to visit China for study in five years, and a group of young people have already made the trip. Deputy Consul General Guo also emphasized that China's path of reform and opening up to the world remains firm, and the Consulate General will continue to support all outstanding patriotic overseas Chinese groups, help the friendly development of Sino-US relations, promote the inheritance of Chinese culture, and support the Chinese people to take root and flourish in this land.
Sun Xiaolu (left), director of the Arts Department of the University Alliance, and Jia Wangcun, vice president of the Southern California Alumni Association of National Chiao Tung University, hosted the award ceremony.
Carol Cheow, CEO of Cango Fund, delivered a speech
Carol Cheow, CEO of Cango Fund, was interviewed by reporters from major media
Congresswoman Judy Chu flew from San Francisco to the award ceremony that day. She highly praised the achievements of the organizing committee over the past decade, helping about 600 students from K1 to college freshmen realize their educational dreams. Judy Chu particularly pointed out that the uniqueness of the Songzhumei Scholarship Program is that it not only focuses on students' GPA, but also attaches importance to students' social volunteer services, cultural and artistic attainments, and public speaking skills. She presented certificates of commendation to the University Alliance, the University Alliance Education Foundation, the Chan Guo Foundation, the Gu Foundation, and Feida Education, which made significant contributions to this scholarship program.
Liu Lisha, Chairman of the University Alliance, delivered a speech
Liu Lisha, president of the University Alliance, was interviewed by reporters from major media outlets
In her speech, Ms. Carol Cheow, CEO of the title sponsor Can Guo Foundation, quoted the words of Guan Zhong, a famous Chinese minister in history: "The best plan for a lifetime is to cultivate people", emphasizing the importance of education for families, companies and nations. As a non-profit charity, Can Guo Foundation originated from family cultural heritage and is committed to helping students from poor families but with lofty ambitions to open the door to wisdom and improve their thinking and cognitive abilities. In order to continue to pass on charity and love, Can Guo Foundation is willing to work with everyone to keep this love going.
Vickie Zhang, principal of Feida Education, delivered a speech
Wendy Weng (left), CEO of Sony International Education, and others
On behalf of the Board of Directors, Liu Lisha, President of the University Alliance, expressed her warmest congratulations to nearly 100 Chinese students who won the awards. She hopes that the scholarship can become a highlight in the students' lives and inspire them to keep moving forward. Liu Lisha especially thanked the sponsors, the organizers and co-organizers, the alumni associations, the organizing committee, and all the volunteers who participated in the event. She said, "Without your support, there would be no successful award ceremony!"
The host reads the congratulatory message from Gordon Gu, founder of the Gu Foundation, a gold sponsor
Rong Yue, Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Secretary General of the University Alliance Education Foundation, presided over the scholarship award ceremony (for freshmen)
Jia Xudong, executive chairman of the organizing committee and president of the Chiao Tung University Southern California Alumni Association, presided over the award ceremony for the high school scholarship.
Xu Shaoli, president of the Sun Yat-sen University Alumni Association of Southern California, presided over the award ceremony for the primary school department
Liu Guoyun, president of the Shandong University Southern California Alumni Association, presided over the award ceremony for the junior high school department
Mr. George Hernandez, the representative of California State Treasurer Ma Shiyun, encouraged the students present to bravely pursue their dreams at the award ceremony. He said, "You are the future of the country. As long as you treat yourself honestly and work hard, you can achieve your goals. Truth and hard work will lead you to a bright future." San Gabriel City Councilman Ding Yanyu said in his speech, "I am very happy to hear Jiaotong University alumnus Zhang Ming introduce that this year's Songzhumei Scholarship has been expanded to the Southern California community." This was his dream when he was doing the scholarship! He earnestly hopes that the award-winning students will uphold the spirit of "taking from the community and giving back to the community" and actively participate in community service in the future. He also hopes that more Chinese children will participate in politics in the future and grow up to become legislators, governors and even presidents. Finally, Mr. Ding presented certificates to all sponsor representatives in recognition of their generous donations to the scholarships.
The host read the congratulatory message from the gold sponsor Gu Foundation in Chinese and English. Founder Gu Gongen said that the Gu Foundation is pleased to cooperate with such an outstanding organization as the University Alliance and is very proud to support the Songzhumei Scholarship. He said that the purpose of education is to empower individuals to realize their aspirations, create ways to escape poverty and promote inclusive growth. Most importantly, to create a better America and world for our descendants. This is the mission of the Gu Foundation! Silver sponsor Ms. Vickie Zhang, principal of Feida Education, said that education is not only about the pursuit of high scores, but also about cultivating a sense of social responsibility. Education is "one tree pushes another tree, one cloud pushes another cloud, and one soul changes for another soul." Feida Education believes that the Songzhumei Scholarship program is highly consistent with Feida Education's philosophy, so it has continued to support this program and promised to continue to unswervingly support the Songzhumei Scholarship brand program. Bronze sponsor Zuo Guangrong regretted not being able to attend the award ceremony in person, but expressed his most sincere congratulations to the award-winning students to Li Shan, president of the University Alliance before the meeting. The organizing committee expressed its sincere gratitude to Ms. Wei Xuemei, Ms. Wang Aiping and Ms. Li Yifei for their loving sponsorship; the charitable donor, Vice President Li Yifei of Taishan Sports Association, was invited to attend the award ceremony.
Executive Chairman of the Organizing Committee and President of the Alumni Association of Jiaotong University in Southern California Jia Xudong, Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee and President of the Alumni Association of Shandong University in Southern California Liu Guoyun, Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee and President of the Alumni Association of Sun Yat-sen University in Southern California Xu Shaoli presided over the award ceremony for the high school, middle school and elementary school scholarships respectively. There are 20 judges for this scholarship. The judging panel comprehensively considered academic GPA, talent skills, extracurricular activities, essay writing and Chinese proficiency, and a total of 90 scholarships were awarded.
Rong Yue, Vice Chairman of the Organizing Committee and Secretary General of the University Alliance Education Foundation, presided over the award ceremony for the scholarship (for freshmen). There are 7 judges for this year's scholarship. The review process includes preliminary selection of academic GPA, talent skills, extracurricular activities, family income and Chinese proficiency, and comprehensive evaluation combined with interviews and home visits.
Primary School Award Ceremony
Sophia Li, the first prize winner of the high school group, gave a speech on behalf of the scholarship winners. She said that as a freshman who will be attending Columbia University, she felt very honored to receive the scholarship to support her academic pursuits. As a second-generation Chinese, she expressed her deep gratitude for the support of her parents and Chinese predecessors, and emphasized the importance of identity recognition for descendants of Chinese descent. Scholarship recipient Sherry Shi gave a speech on behalf of the scholarship recipients, saying, "This scholarship not only helps me reduce the burden of college expenses, but also is a responsibility that reminds me to continue to work hard and give back to the Asian Pacific American community."
Award Ceremony
The award ceremony invited three award-winning students to perform their talents. Angel Shen from the high school group performed a soft song "Silent Noon" that showed the tranquility and harmony of nature; Vivian, who had performed at Carnegie Hall, presented the audience with a technically superb and emotional Bach "Violin Sonata in G Minor"; Xu Yihan, who starred in two seasons of the Disney+ series "The Incorporated", played and sang a song full of nostalgia "Chengdu" by herself, which moved every audience present.
Junior High School Award Ceremony
Other guests attending the award ceremony included: former presidents and former chairmen of the University Alliance: Liu Yufa, Lu Chunyu (Tsinghua representative), Xiong Wensheng, Wu Xiaoshan (Wenzhou Medical University representative), Sun Jun, Rong Yue, Sun Shuting, and Lun Bingqiang.
Scholarship (Freshmen) Award Ceremony
Representatives of the co-organizing alumni associations: Xu Lei, former president of the Peking University Southern California Alumni Association, Fan Ruosong, president of the Dalian University of Technology Southern California Alumni Association, Li Huiqiong, president of the Xinghai Conservatory of Music Southern California Alumni Association, Liu Guofang, president of the Harbin Institute of Technology Southern California Alumni Association, Zhang Zhengang, president of the Yunnan University Southern California Alumni Association, Wan Ronggen, chairman of the Xi'an Jiaotong University Southern California Alumni Association, Chen Jiong, vice president of the Zhejiang University Southern California Alumni Association, Cao Bing, director of the East China University of Science and Technology Southern California Alumni Association, and Huang Qi, vice president of the Fudan University Southern California Alumni Association and secretary-general of the University Alliance.
Wang Qun (center), Education Consul of the Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles, Ding Yanyu (right), and Lu Chunyu (left)
Representatives of supporting alumni associations include: Zhong Shuping, Vice President of Shantou University Alumni Association of Southern California, He Xinyan, Chairman of Beijing Institute of Technology Alumni Association of Southern California, Pu Lihong, President of Nanjing University of Science and Technology Alumni Association of Southern California + Vice President of University Alliance, Chen Li, Secretary General of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies Los Angeles Alumni Association, Li Yawei, Secretary General of Beihang University Greater Los Angeles Alumni Association, Ling Yun, Honorary President of Nanjing University Los Angeles Alumni Association, Wang Wei, Chairman of Tsinghua University Alumni Association of Southern California, Li Xue, Former President of Jiaotong University Alumni Association of Southern California, Sun Haocheng, President of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law Alumni Association of Southern California, and Zhu Yongmei, President of Northwestern Polytechnical University Alumni Association of Southern California.
Award-winning student representative Li Taoyan gave a speech
Representatives of the co-organizing alumni associations: Xu Lei, former president of the Peking University Southern California Alumni Association, Fan Ruosong, president of the Dalian University of Technology Southern California Alumni Association, Li Huiqiong, president of the Xinghai Conservatory of Music Southern California Alumni Association, Liu Guofang, president of the Harbin Institute of Technology Southern California Alumni Association, Zhang Zhengang, president of the Yunnan University Southern California Alumni Association, Wan Ronggen, chairman of the Xi'an Jiaotong University Southern California Alumni Association, Chen Jiong, vice president of the Zhejiang University Southern California Alumni Association, Cao Bing, director of the East China University of Science and Technology Southern California Alumni Association, and Huang Qi, vice president of the Fudan University Southern California Alumni Association and secretary-general of the University Alliance.
Congresswoman Judy Chu happily took a photo with the award-winning student Luke Li
The 11th Songzhumei Scholarship Award Ceremony of the University Alliance has come to a successful conclusion, marking a new starting point full of hope and promise. Through this ceremony, the award-winning students not only gained honor and substantial support, but also felt the care and encouragement from all walks of life. The success of each winner is inseparable from the selfless dedication of sponsors, alumni associations, judges and volunteers. We believe that these young students will continue to move forward on the road in the future, give back to the society with practical actions, and pass on positive energy. Thank you to all individuals and institutions who care about and support the Songzhumei Scholarship Program. Let us work together to help more Chinese children have a better future. Let us work together to help more Chinese children have a better future.
Xu Yihan sang "Chengdu" with all her heart