Drying My Eyes and Smile

Abstract

Yuanya Zhang was born in a rural village in Mainland China. As a girl, non-local, and first-gen college student, she has been through lots of moments of "crying" throughout her education, from schools in a small town to universities in Hong Kong and the UK. In this narrative, Yuanya deliberately selects moments in her life that have led to her growth and helped her to develop perseverance and resilience as she managed to overcome challenges by drying her eyes and smiling.