In July, 50-year-old Yang Yan received her acceptance letter into the master of laws program at Southwest Forestry University in Kunming, China.
"I experienced an accident, became disabled, lost my job, and fell into depression. Now, I'm embarking on a new journey to pursue my dream of earning a master's degree," she shared on social media.
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Yang Yan on her first day of the master's program. Photo: Sohu |
In 2013, a fire left Yang with severe burns on her face and hands. Her left hand lost almost all mobility, her right hand could not bend, and she developed post-traumatic stress disorder, relying on anti-depressants and disability benefits.
Yang turned to studying as a form of therapy. She studied for an intermediate accounting certificate and took on some bookkeeping work. In 2022, she stumbled upon her son's law books, left behind after he failed the bar exam.
"Selling them wouldn't bring much money. After flipping through a few pages, I realized the content wasn't too difficult, so I decided to give it a try," she said. She supplemented her studies with online resources, diligently memorizing English vocabulary daily, the most challenging subject for her.
"I started with 50 words a day, then increased to 100, and finally 200," she shared, admitting some words took her 50 repetitions to memorize.
In late 2023, she took the postgraduate entrance exam, choosing a university in Shandong for easier travel, but fell 10 points short of the admission requirement. The following year, she applied for the part-time master of laws program at Southwest Forestry University.
Following an interview in March, she was accepted, achieving the highest written exam score and the second-highest overall score.
Her class consists of over 30 students, the next oldest being 26. The three-year program involves two years of coursework and one year for thesis writing.
"I will do my best to graduate on time," she stated. For her, spending her retirement studying is a fulfilling endeavor.
Her story quickly went viral, garnering praise online. "I admire this woman's courage, persistence, and intellect," one reader commented.
"No matter what stage of life you're in, you should never give up on your dreams," Yang said.
Huyen Trang (according to SCMP, Sohu, Sina)
