ZhangGuimei:PerseveranceandDedication_GuangmingOnlineZhangGuimei:PerseveranceandDedicationPhotoofZhangGuimeiFifteenyearsago,ZhangGuimei,thendirectoroftheHuapingCountyChildren’sHomeinLijiang,YunnanProvince,hadthedreamtobuildagirls’highschoolfree-of-chargesothatgirlsfrompoormountainscouldattendhighschoolandgotocollege,andpovertycouldbecontained.InSeptember2008,thankstothesupportofthelocalpartycommitteeandgovernmentaswellasassistancefromallwalksoflife,HuapingGirls’HighSchoolwasestablished,markingthefirstfree-of-chargegirls’highschoolinChina.Overthepast14years,PrincipalZhangGuimeihasledafacultyteamandhelpedmorethan2,000girlsfromtheremotemountainsofLijiangtofulfilltheirdreamsofattendingcollege.So,whatdreamsdoesZhangholdtodayasadelegatetothe20thCPCNationalCongress?“Mydreamnowisthatchildreninthemountains,allboysandgirls,canattendschoolandstudywhattheylike!Ihopethatchildreninthemountainscanhavethesameeducationasthoseincitiesdo!”Zhangtoldreporters.IthasbeentheunremittingpursuitofZhangformorethan20years.Thefirststepinherquestwastogivepoorgirlsfreeaccesstohighschool.Intheearlydays,manygirlswouldstartworkingorevengetmarriedaftermiddleschoolbecausetheirfamiliescouldnotaffordhighschool.ThischangedwhentheHuapingGirls’HighSchoolwasfounded,localgirlshavesincebeenabletoattendschoolforfreeandreceiveanallowance.Totheprideofparents,girlswhoattendedtheschoolhaveseentheirliveschange,andescapedpoverty.ButZhanghadbiggerexpectations.Inhereyes,fortunescouldbechangedonlywhenthosegirlsfrompoormountainsattendcollegeaftergraduatingfromherhighschool.“Thisyearall142graduateshavegoneontocollege,theyhaveachievedtheirgoal,butnotminebecausenonehavemadeittoTsinghuaUniversity!”Althoughtheschool’sexamresultisamongthebestinLijiangeveryyear,Zhang’sdreamisthatgirlsfromthemountainousareascanattendthebestuniversitiesinthecountry,justlikethosewhostudyincities.Howwillaschoollocatedinaremotemountainousareaeverbeabletoattractthebestteachersandcompetewithschoolsandstudentsincities?Zhangalreadyhasasteadfastanswertothequestion,“WewilldrawstrengthofperseveranceanddedicationfromChina’srevolution”,shesaid.Intheearlydayswhenconditionswereextremelypoor,theschoolhadonly17teachersbutninehadleft.ZhangGuimeitooksixteacherswhowerepartymemberstoapledgeinfrontofthepartyflag,vowingtostickwiththeschoolandstudents.Duringclassbreakseverymorning,Zhangwouldleadallthestudentstosing“TheSongofRedPlum”todrawinspirationfromthestoryofJiangZhuyun,arevolutionaryheroine.“Inthefirstyearofourschool,wehadaclassinwhichallthestudentsgotadmittedintocollege,andallthestudentsinthatclasshadpreviouslysubmittedtheirapplicationtojointheparty”,Zhangsaid.Redcultureeducationhasbecomeatraditionandadistinctivefeatureoftheschool,givingitahugeboostofmotivation.WheneverZhangreceivesphonescallsfromgraduateswhoareworkingasvillagecadresorsoldiersinthesnowymountainsofTibet,sheisrelievedtolearnherstudentsarewillingtodefythehardshipsandremaincommittedtotheirjobs.“TheredseedsIsowedhavebecomeredfruits”,shesaid.ZhangalsotookthegirlstotheThirdLineConstructionMuseuminPanzhihua.“Ourchildrenneedtolearnabouttherevolutionaryhistoryofourforebearsandseehowtheybuiltanindustrialcitydespiteallthehardships.Thedifficultyweenduretodaypalesinfrontofthosehardships”,shesaid.“IamamemberoftheCommunistParty,andIwilldedicatemyselftoeducatingtalentsforthePartyandthenation,andcultivatethechildreninthemountainsintoqualifiedsocialistsuccessors!”,Zhangtoldusthebigdreamssheholdsdeartoherheart.ContributedbyGuangmingDailyreporterZhangYongEditor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.