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Interview with NCEF Volunteer Liang Zhang
Liang Zhang, a native of the Jingsu Province of China, has been volunteering with NCEF for a year and a half recording the visiting reports of our field organizers. Liang is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Shanghai’s Jiao Tong University working in the field of electrical engineering. He will graduate and begin his first job this year, but throughout his time as a student, he has also been a part of the NCEF family.
A few years ago, while a student at Georgia Tech, Liang met former NCEF President and current Director Steven Lustig on the basketball court. The two began talking more and more and when the topic turned to what they enjoy doing in their spare time, Steven told Liang about NCEF. “I thought about helping children from poor families, and when I heard about [NCEF], I asked Steven what I can do to help. Then he found a volunteering position for me,” says Liang.
Liang has a personal connection to the children of NCEF: “I was born to a poor family. When I was a child, our family didn’t have enough food and some nights we didn’t even have lights. Still, my parents encouraged me to study hard. I received some financial help from outside the family and made up my mind to dedicate myself to school, and I did. I got high grades and promised myself that I would help other students in need when I grew up. Now as I complete my Ph.D. I want to encourage our students to study hard -- better lives are waiting for them.” So why did Liang choose to work with NCEF over other educational non-profits? “When I record the visiting reports, I found our volunteers keep visiting these students month-to-month, year-to-year. When I found these students were improving their studies and lives through NCEF’s help, I was happy and excited. Our volunteers are persistent and keep moving. They don’t stop when they meet difficulties. They give the students encouragement and hope to pursue a better life.” Furthermore, he adds, “financial statements are transparent; people know where their money is being used.”
From the NCEF family, we thank you Liang for your hard work and dedication.
Updates from Nepal
- Gaurab who is a 2nd grader in Sunsari now knows how to sing. He is very happy learning this new skill with his Singing teacher.
- Ajay of Sunsari is proud and ecstatic on being double-promoted to Grade 4 directly from Grade 2 because of his excellent performance.
- Riya in Sunsari is very excited about coming first in her Grade 6 class and moving on to 7th grade.
Please join us in congratulating these students on their wonderful accomplishments and in thanking the donors that make achievements such as these a possibility.
In Next Month’s Newsletter:
Next month, we’ll continue with updates from students and volunteers.
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