Wang Xueru, a 22-year-old student from the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, is serving as a volunteer Chinese teacher at Mengla No 1 High School — one of UIBE's partner schools — in Mengla county, Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture, Yunnan province. [Photo provided to China Daily]
After class, as Wang Xueru quietly packed up while enduring the pain of severe menstrual cramps, a student approached her. Without a word, the girl handed Wang a small slip of paper and a warm patch.
"If the sky is cloudy, I will be your sunshine," the note read.
In that moment, Wang felt her exhaustion and pain melt away — replaced by something much warmer: the quiet, mutual care between a young volunteer teacher and her student in a classroom in Mengla county, Yunnan province.
This moment is one of many that define the daily lives of youth volunteers in the teaching group for rural education from the University of International Business and Economics under the "Go West" program launched in 2003. Young graduates dedicate a year to teaching in some of China's most under-served western regions.
Wang poses with some of her proud students. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Wang, a 22-year-old student from Quanzhou, Fujian province, holds a degree in Chinese language and literature, with a second major in international economics and trade. From the moment she entered university, her dream was clear: she wanted to serve. Her motto — "When poor, cultivate yourself; when successful, help the world" — guided her path through years of university volunteer work.
From her first year at college, she immersed herself in volunteerism, becoming the leader of a campus volunteer group by sophomore year and launching projects online to connect children across provinces with literacy classes and cultural activities. By the time she reached her senior year, Wang set her sights on joining the teaching program in rural areas, which is called Postgraduate Education Supporting Team of Chinese Youth Volunteers.
Every year, about 40 to 50 students apply for the program, but only 21 are ultimately selected. Thanks to her steadily growing volunteer experience, Wang was chosen and successfully went to a partner school in Mengla county of the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture in Yunnan — Mengla No 1 High School — to serve as a volunteer teacher.
Wang and her enthusiastic students in the classroom are ready for another day of learning. [Photo provided to China Daily]
When she arrived in Mengla county, Wang was not worried about adapting — she was anxious about whether she could truly teach well. "I kept wondering, can I really help them? Can I really do everything I plan to do here?" Wang recalls.
Then, the first challenge came. "The hardest time was after our first exams, when the results were terrible," Wang admits. "But we took it one step at a time. We focused on what we could change and what we could improve."
Wang refined her lessons, adjusted her methods, and worked relentlessly with her students.
She drew educational insights from the classic Dream of the Red Chamber, such as encouragement through praise, mutual learning between teacher and student, applying knowledge in practice, and fostering an equal teacher-student relationship. These approaches helped the children not only settle down to study but also become more willing to think independently and respond actively in class.
Eight months later, the results speak for themselves. When she started, both of her classes were at the bottom of the grade rankings. Now, one of the parallel classes she leads has climbed to third place, surpassing even an elite experimental class.
Artworks created by Wang's students on display at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]
In addition to daily teaching, Wang also organizes a variety of extracurricular activities and courses to support the students' all-around development.
One of Wang's proudest projects was guiding her students to create collage poems — an innovative mix of art and literature where students blend Yunnan's cultural elements, like Dai textile patterns and the region's famous rubber forests, with poetic lines. For many students, it was a revelation.
"My grades in Chinese weren't very good, and I didn't have much interest," her student Yi Xiangkan says. "But through the collage poetry, I discovered the beauty of the subject, and I started seeing the world differently."
Another student, Chen Rui, says: "I used to think I wasn't smart enough to write poetry. Now I know beauty is everywhere, even in ordinary life."
Artworks created by Wang's students on display at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]
The project has reached all the way to Beijing, where a literature society at Wang's college exhibited the students' works on the campus.
"Teacher, do you think those brothers and sisters from your college will like our poems?" Students ask Wang excitedly. She answers with a smile: "Someday, you'll be like your poems — crossing mountains and seas, standing on bigger stages."
Artworks created by Wang's students on display at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]
The magic, however, wasn't just in test scores. It was in the bonds Wang built.
Many students invite her to the New Year celebrations, hoping to take her to their homes for dinners, and share their hopes and dreams.
Some, inspired by her presence, have set their sights on ambitious goals. Yi, also a passionate dancer, decided after heartfelt talks with Wang that she wants to apply to the Beijing Dance Academy. She now trains late into the night, determined to chase that dream.
Not all stories are simple. Some students from the school are dealing with mental health issues. A student surnamed Zhou recently collapsed due to her illness. Wang visited her at the hospital and learned about her family's struggles — her father passed away during the pandemic and her mother now supports two daughters alone by running a small stall — and has since made a point to quietly offer companionship and encouragement whenever possible.
"I truly hope she can get better," Wang says softly.
Artworks created by Wang's students on display at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing. [Photo provided to China Daily]
Wang is not alone in this mission. She maintains close communication with staff members and receives support from them.
Miao Dongqing, secretary of the Communist Youth League Committee at UIBE, says the project aims to combine educational support with "relay-style" volunteerism, where each year's volunteers continue and expand on the work of their predecessors. UIBE sends its student volunteers to places like Yunnan, Gansu province, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and Guizhou province, offering not only teaching help but also fresh cultural and educational perspectives to schools.
Miao describes how the organization supports the volunteers from afar — providing resources, coordinating with Yunnan's partners, and maintaining a strong communication line so the volunteers never feel abandoned. "They are young, but they carry enormous responsibility," Miao says. "We see our role as giving them a strong support network so they can focus on making the biggest difference."
"Our mission is not only to send people, but to ensure they are well prepared — mentally, emotionally, and professionally," Miao says. "They are going to be a bridge between the urban and rural, and the east and west."
Miao adds that these students are deeply committed. They go on to become part of the community, contributing their energy, ideas and creativity.
As Wang wraps up her year in Mengla, her journey is far from over. She will soon begin graduate studies in international Chinese language education, with hopes of someday teaching overseas, sharing the Chinese language and traditional culture across borders.
For Miao, watching volunteers like Wang blossom reinforces the value of the program. "The beauty of this work is that it's never one-way," she says. "The volunteers give, but they also receive. The students grow, but the teachers grow too. It's a mutual journey of discovery."
As Wang reflects on her experience, one word comes to mind: warmth. "I want to be a teacher with warmth, with depth. And here, I found that the warmth goes both ways. The more I gave, the more I was embraced. That's the real power of volunteer teaching."
"I hope I can keep my original aspiration," she says. "To move forward steadily, stay true to my ideals, and dedicate my youth to the dream of helping others."
Editor:Qiu Xiaochen
