Wang Peiling, a Spring Bud girl-turned business executive, just returned to Beijing from Urumqi, capital city of Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, from a business tour when she talked about her inspirational stories at an interview.

"The Spring Bud project gave me an opportunity to receive a three-year-long university study in Beijing, further expand my horizon, foster a firm belief that where there's a will, there's a way, and grasp opportunities available to eventually achieve what I have had today," Wang said. She added that she is always grateful to those who have helped her and that she will do her utmost to pass on the love and warmth to more needy individuals.

Grow from a "cowherd" into a Spring Bud girl

Wang comes from a three-child rural family in Yuexi county of East China's Anhui province.

According to Wang, the family had no any stable income sources in her childhood. Her mother became severely disabled in two legs during a traffic incident when she was only 5 or 6 years old.

Wang's brother and sister thus dropped out of school to further ease the economic burden of their family and support her to continue with academic studies.

In the later years, Wang worked hard in school with great expectation of her two siblings. However, she failed to reach the admission score of undergraduate programs in the national college entrance examination, or Gaokao, by dozens of scores and considered to give up the idea of repeating a year of school because of economic conditions at home.

It was at that time that the Spring Bud project entered Wang's life. Under the recommendation of her school and teachers, she earned an opportunity to study in a Spring Bud class at Beijing Bailie University.

Supported by the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) and the China Children and Teenagers' Fund (CCTF), Beijing Bailie University became a partner of the Spring Bud project and launched the country's first university-level Spring Bud class in 2001.

Till now, Beijing Bailie University has held seven rounds of the Spring Bud class and helped 236 disadvantaged students with outstanding academic performance complete their university studies for associate degrees.

Wang said that it is still vivid in her mind about the study and life at Beijing Bailie University, though nearly two decades have passed.

Wang recalled that all students in the Spring Bud class worked hard and extended assistance to each other when they met difficulties in both academic studies and extracurricular life.

At last, Wang and her classmates unanimously passed the self-taught examinations for a higher educational degree.

Overcome multiple challenges in the business start-up journey

When asked about what the Spring Bud project has taught her most, Wang said that the public welfare initiative has further expanded personal horizon and help her forge new strength and stronger determination in the realization of her dream.

During her stay at Beijing Bailie University, Wang often followed teachers to visit scenic areas, museums and former residences of famous people across the capital city.

After the graduation from Beijing Bailie University, Wang didn't consider the option of pursuing further education because she wanted to launch personal business ventures and improve the livelihood of her family.

Therefore, Wang quickly landed a job in a trading company when she left the university. She had worked for six years until a friend invited her to open their own company in 2010.

The biggest headache for Wang and her colleagues was about how to gain sufficient client resources in the early days of their business venture. At that time, they often paid a visit to dozens of enterprises in a day and clinched a cooperation deal after several rounds of talks.

Thanks to their concerted efforts, the company has grown from a small office with about 20 employees to an influential firm with over 200 staff workers.

Wang has attributed her business success to the study experience in the Spring Bud class, which taught her to cherish all employment opportunities available and don't slacken her efforts when it comes to difficult matters and works.

Make love and warmth reachable by more people

Right now, Wang has closely taken part in public welfare affairs and done her utmost to help disadvantaged girls like her in the past.

On Dec  21, 2021, Wang was invited to attend the opening ceremony of a new Spring Bud class at Beijing Bailie University. She talked with attendees about her experience.

"I am greatly touched by the commitment made by charity-minded individuals to assist  disadvantaged girls in the completion of their academic studies over the past decades," Wang said in her speech and added that she and her former classmates had raised a fund to help the newly recruited Spring Bud girls at Beijing Bailie University.

Wang's company has signed a cooperation deal with Beijing Bailie University on providing its Spring Bud class and other normal students with training and internship opportunities. She said that the company and her colleagues are very supportive of the cooperation and are willing to offer prospective graduates of the Spring Bud class employment guidance   this September.

Wang has acquired a deep understanding of the difficulties for career women to strike a balance between work and family. Therefore, female employees in her company are allowed to keep a flexible work schedule and there is no need for them stay put at the workplace as long as they finish their assignments.

Wang said that what she has done is never enough in comparison with what she had received from others and that she will always remain grateful to those who have helped    her and did their utmost  to pass on the spirit of love.