An 'American Dream': Teacher Yu goes from rags to riches
(Xinhua)Updated: 2006-10-30 09:58
"I'm not excited at the news. It's not a miracle, but a natural result of our
efforts over the past 13 years. It's just a milestone along the way. There is
still a long way to go. We have to walk straighter, for many more people are
watching us now," Yu says.
The bespectacled and smiling man enjoys
encouraging students with Martin L. King's line from his speech "I Have a
Dream." He made it a credo for the New Oriental schools.
"We will hew out
of the mountain of despair a stone of hope."
Founded in 1993, New
Oriental has grown from a class of only 30 students to China's largest private
education service provider with more than three million student enrollments. It
has a network of 25 schools and 111 learning centers in 24 cities as well as an
on-line network that has attracted 2 million registered users.
Clearly,
teaching English can make people rich in China. Like many of his peers, Yu
wanted to pursue an American Dream in the late 1980s, but failed repeatedly to
obtain a visa. Stymied in his American ambitions, he started to cash in on
helping others fulfill their American Dreams. He quit a stable job as an English
teacher at Beijing University and started up a business to help students develop
their English skills.
Yu's company no longer only teaches English. His
business has extended to other foreign language training, preparing students for
tests, primary and secondary school education and software as well as on-line
education.
"Instilling a certain spirit in students is as important as
giving them a skill," Yu says.
Yu is trying to inspire students by
inviting high achievers -- including moguls from real estate, the dairy industry
or advertising -- to talk about their individual road to success.
"We
are committed to training a new generation of business and community leaders,
empowering students to achieve their potential, build self-confidence, and
develop a global vision encompassing both traditional Chinese values and modern
thinking," Yu says.
While he encourages students to try various paths to success, Yu would never
call himself successful.
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