The "Dabai" boy realized his dream of entering Tsinghua University: I feel the kindness of the whole world and have no reason to complain
2024-08-18
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On the morning of August 15, Zhang Yixuan, wearing the Tsinghua University emblem and holding a small telescope, appeared with other classmates at the opening ceremony for the 2024 undergraduate freshmen. Wearing the green shirt of Tsinghua University Zhili College, he became one of the more than 3,800 undergraduate freshmen of Tsinghua University.
Zhang Yixuan is from No. 1 Middle School in Heze City, Shandong Province. She suffers from congenital albinism. Her skin is very sensitive to sunlight and easily sunburned. Her eyesight is also severely damaged, at only 0.01.
But this did not prevent Zhang Yixuan from exploring the world like other children. He has a sunny and cheerful personality and is known as a "sparkling big boy". This year, he scored 688 points in the college entrance examination and was admitted to Tsinghua University Zhili College's Mathematics and Applied Mathematics major through the Strong Foundation Program.
Accompanied by her parents, Zhang Yixuan arrived at Tsinghua University to register as a freshman. Photo by Beijing News reporter Guo Yanbing
“The disease doesn’t stop me from doing anything I want to do”
Zhang Yixuan just celebrated his 18th birthday on May 20 this year. Due to his visual impairment, he has become accustomed to carrying binoculars and magnifying glasses with him to help him see the things around him clearly. He adjusts the font size of his mobile phone to the maximum, and still needs to put the screen close to the tip of his nose when browsing information. Because his skin is extremely sensitive to sunlight, he must strictly protect himself from the sun when outdoors, otherwise he will soon feel unwell.
This is especially true in the classroom. When studying in class, he needs to use a telescope to see what the teacher writes on the blackboard, and when reading, he needs to wear a magnifying glass to see the words on the book clearly. With the magnifying glass, it seems less tiring, but he still needs to bend very close to the book, and this has been the case for many years.
"It doesn't matter. These problems can be solved and overcome through various methods." Zhang Yixuan spoke in a relaxed tone. He explained his auxiliary tools to the curious people, "Unlike myopic glasses, a magnifying glass is actually a convex lens."
It is difficult for ordinary people to imagine how much extraordinary effort Zhang Yixuan has to make to achieve such excellent results. His answer to this question is still relaxed and at ease: "After I have tools to help me see clearly, in fact, there is not much difference between me and ordinary people in learning. There may be some differences in posture, but the content and methods of learning are the same as everyone else. I will encounter difficulties, but I will also feel the comfort and happiness of solving problems."
To achieve good results in mathematics and enter Tsinghua University Zhili College, is it more about talent or hard work? Zhang Yixuan's answer to this question is: "I don't have a particularly high talent, and acquired efforts are indispensable to me." He believes that mathematical ability can be cultivated slowly in the later stage, for example, rigorous thinking can be explored and summarized through one's own thinking.
In late July, Zhang Yixuan posted her admission letter from Tsinghua University on her WeChat Moments. Photo courtesy of the interviewee
“Everyone calls me ‘Dabai’, which makes me feel very warm inside”
After being admitted in late July, Zhang Yixuan posted her admission letter on WeChat Moments. When she opened the letter, she saw the three-dimensional "Second Gate" of Tsinghua University, with Zhang Yixuan's photo and name next to it. Along with the letter, a doll ornament on Zhang Yixuan's desk appeared in the camera: Dabai (a character from an animated film).
This doll was made by a high school classmate and given to Zhang Yixuan. "I forgot when it started, but my classmates all started calling me Dabai." Zhang Yixuan prefers the name "Dabai" to "the big boy who shines", "Every time they call me that, I feel warm in my heart."
"Sometimes I would make fun of myself with my own jokes, and I also want to add some fun to my classmates' busy lives." Many people were moved by Zhang Yixuan's happiness. He told reporters that the disease did not affect him from doing anything he wanted to do. "Everyone around me is very nice to me. My family and parents are very nice to me. They will help me solve any problems. My teachers and classmates are also very concerned about me. They try their best to meet some of my needs in the classroom and dormitory. They also take good care of some of my special tools, which touched me very much. Coming to Tsinghua, the teachers and seniors here are all warm and thoughtful. I feel the kindness from all over the world and have no reason to complain about anything." Zhang Yixuan said.
When he encounters difficulties, he will encourage himself. "Some classmates will take me as an example and ask me for help when they encounter problems they cannot solve. This is also a trust and encouragement to me. In this case, I must live up to myself and the expectations of my classmates."
I hope to contribute to nuclear fusion research.
"When I was a kid, I felt happy when I solved a math problem. As I grew older, new knowledge broadened my cognition. I learned that the field of mathematics is very broad, and what I knew was only a small part of it. I felt very curious and developed a desire to explore the unknown."
Zhang Yixuan has loved mathematics since he was young. His fate with Tsinghua University began during a trip in elementary school. That was the first time he saw the gate of Tsinghua University. In front of the gate, Zhang Yixuan silently planted an expectation in his heart, hoping to become a student here in the future.
The dream finally came true. On August 14, accompanied by her parents, Zhang Yixuan arrived at Tsinghua University as a freshman of the class of 2024 and moved into an ordinary dormitory. "The Tsinghua campus is too big, I need to get familiar with it slowly, and the process of exploration is also very fun." Zhang Yixuan is not worried about her future study and life in Tsinghua. "I haven't met my roommates yet, but we have established contact online."
After entering university, Zhang Yixuan wanted to keep his body in good shape. He was interested in swimming and running. He hoped that he could learn his favorite mathematics major at Tsinghua University, lay a solid foundation, learn the content to the top level, and strive to make some achievements, so that he could contribute to the development of the country and society in the future. "There are some unsolved problems in the field of mathematics, and there are also some mathematical problems in our actual life and production. If these problems can be solved, I believe they will also promote social development. The mathematical problems we solve now may not be applied immediately, but after hundreds of years, this mathematical theorem may be used in fields such as physics or chemistry." Zhang Yixuan said.
Zhang Yixuan already has a goal for the future, even if it is not particularly clear or certain yet - "When I was in high school, I thought about doing work related to nuclear fusion research in the future, but it may be difficult to achieve due to my eyesight. But I really want to work in this field, and I may use my knowledge to contribute."
Beijing News reporter Feng Qi
Edited by Wu Huixiao and Fu Chunyin
