I am a sixteen-year-old seventh grader from Hei Long Jiang. Perhaps you may ask, why is a sixteen-year-old only in seventh-grade?

　　When I was five-years-old, my parents had to go work in Beijing because our family was very poor. I lived with my paternal grandparents, and when I was little, I wasn't obedient at all. When I was in sixth-grade, I was even more disobedient. Because my grandparents were old, I didn't study at all at home and began to feel that learning was boring, so I began to skip school. My friends and I all decided to go find jobs. One day, I lied to my families and said that I was going to live at my friend's house for a month. Then, we left our homes to go to the city. After days and days, we still couldn't find jobs. During those days, I was like a homeless orphan, wandering the streets.

　　Afterwards I came home and told my relatives that I wanted to go to Beijing to find my parents. My grandmother didn't say anything; her eyes became moist and she gave me 500RMB from the closet. I left and on the bus for a day and night, I silently cried many times. When I arrived in Beijing, my first sentence was, "Dad, I want to go to school here." My dad immediately agreed.

　　When I arrived at the Dandelion School, I still had the same attitude about school: it's annoying. But after attending the Dandelion School for over a month, the school and the teachers touched my heart. I began to become interested in learning. Even though I was only at the school for a short time, I developed a deep love for the school. It's the Dandelion School that changed my view of life and my future.

　　It's you who gave me a new life; I love you, the Dandelion School.

（The Dandelion School, Seventh-grade (Class 2)于国柱, fall semester of 2006)
(Translated by Diana)