By Zheng Chun-yan, Yang Zhu-ya, Wang Rui-juan, Wang Mei-ya,
Li Yi-ru, and Zhang Li-yun
Translated by Wu Hsiao-ting
Photo by Huang Chuan-bi
Thirty-three New Shoots Scholarship award ceremonies were held across Taiwan in late 2025, recognizing 9,400 students who have proven that adversity cannot limit their achievements. For them, receiving assistance is not an endpoint but the beginning of passing love forward.
A New Shoots Scholarship award ceremony held at the Tainan Jing Si Hall, southern Taiwan, on October 26, 2025.
As late autumn gave way to the chill of winter, 33 Tzu Chi New Shoots Scholarship award ceremonies were held across Taiwan, spreading warmth and hope. The 9,400 recipients had done their best to shape their own lives, turning the sweet and bitter experiences of their journeys into nourishment for personal growth. Even in the face of adversity and difficult paths, they continued to move forward with courage.
These promising students come from disadvantaged families, whom Tzu Chi volunteers visit regularly and provide care and support for. With this annual scholarship program, the foundation hopes to inspire recipients to pursue their dreams with confidence and trusts that one day these “new shoots” will grow into trees that offer shade and support to others.
A steady support for her mother
Many recipients of this scholarship shoulder family responsibilities earlier than most of their peers. Xiao-si (not her real name), now a college freshman, is one such student. Her parents divorced when she was in elementary school, and she later moved with her mother and two younger sisters from Hsinchu to New Taipei City. Life during those years was difficult. Worn down by long-term emotional strain, her mother developed anxiety, panic disorder, and major depression. Unable to work, she relied on government assistance and support from Tzu Chi.
As the eldest daughter, Xiao-si understood from a young age that her family needed her. After school, she prepared meals, cleaned, cared for her sisters, and helped them with their homework. “She doesn’t talk much,” her mother said, “but everything she does moves me deeply. No matter how hard life gets, she never complains. Thoughtful and responsible, she is my pride. Without her, our family might not have made it.”
Despite her family’s financial challenges, Xiao-si never allowed her studies to slip. She earned a New Shoots Scholarship in the category of Scholarly Accomplishments for three consecutive years, beginning in her second year of high school. Now in college, she cherishes the opportunity to learn and listens intently in every class, knowing that once she returns home, there is still much to do.
Tzu Chi volunteer Li Xiu-e (李秀鵞), who has worked with the family for many years, shared that Xiao-si demonstrates impressive dedication and maturity both in school and at home. Her teachers have praised her excellent attitude toward learning and noted that she even takes the initiative to help classmates with their assignments. At home, she becomes her mother’s right hand, never once saying she’s tired. “She’s still so young, yet so sensible,” Li said. “We see her efforts and feel both moved and protective. We want to give her all the encouragement we can.”
At the scholarship award ceremony at the Sanchong Jing Si Hall on October 25, Xiao-si stepped onto the stage to receive her certificate and scholarship money, wearing a shy but determined smile. “Thank you to Tzu Chi and to everyone who has helped us,” she remarked. “I will turn this love into strength, study hard, and give back to society in the future.” She already knows how she will use the scholarship: to purchase professional textbooks, pay certification exam fees, and use the remainder on transportation and meals to ease her mother’s burden.
Studying with purpose
Wei, recently admitted to a university in Taichung, received a scholarship in the category of Academic Improvement during this round of award ceremonies. After his parents’ divorce, his mother raised him and his brother on her own. She woke at 3 a.m. each day to work in a school kitchen, letting the children sleep in a corner until it was time for school. In the evenings, she made dumplings at home to earn extra income, with Wei always by her side helping her.
Tzu Chi volunteers in Chiayi have supported the family since 2013. With their encouragement, Wei’s mother opened a small food stall three years ago, finally having a business of her own. Volunteer Lin Hui-min (林惠民) often saw Wei helping at the stall after school, yet he still found time to complete his homework. Despite his responsibilities at home, Wei graduated third in his cohort from high school, showing with his excellent grades that poverty is no barrier to success.
Wei recalls a teacher’s words from elementary school, said while he was running laps around the playground: “Keep going—you’re almost there!” The phrase became his personal motto, reminding him to persevere. In junior high, his homeroom and English teachers encouraged him further, saying, “Apply yourself in school and you can create a better future.” Both messages motivated him to work hard and aim high.
He also remembers his first encounter with Tzu Chi: Volunteers brought vegetarian snacks and holiday gifts to his home. That year, he received a New Shoots Scholarship for perfect attendance. Now a university student, he has set new goals—no tardiness, no leaving early, no casual absences—and hopes to rank among the top ten in his department. “I know how hard my mother works to support our family,” he said. “Studying diligently is my way of giving back.”
His mother beams with pride at his maturity. In addition to his dedication to schoolwork, he writes heartfelt birthday cards to her and apology notes when he does something wrong. “He is quiet,” she said, “but he expresses his love through his actions, which really means a lot to me.”
Wei keeps her advice firmly in mind: “We are receiving help now; when you are able, you must give back.” He puts this principle into action even as a student, donating money or blood. “In the future, I want to make my family’s life better and help others just as Tzu Chi has helped me,” he declared.
In Penghu, an archipelago off Taiwan’s southwestern coast, Tzu Chi volunteers have been like second mothers to Zheng, another New Shoots Scholarship recipient. They supported him through his youth with patience and kindness, encouraged him to do his best in school, and invited him to participate in Tzu Chi activities. He served as a scorer at Tzu Chi summer camps in high school and joined a tutoring program in college, assisting younger students with their schoolwork. Helping younger students developed in him a deeper appreciation for the sacrifices his grandmother made raising him.
“Originally, my grandmother didn’t want me to go to university,” he said. “She wanted me to serve in the military and earn a salary to help ease the family’s financial pressure. Thanks to Tzu Chi’s educational subsidy program, I was able to attend college.” (This program provides financial support to disadvantaged students, covering tuition, room and board, uniforms, books, school supplies, and living expenses so they can focus on their studies.) He conveyed his gratitude to the foundation and vowed to work even harder to become the pillar of his family and a dependable support for his grandmother.
Formal yet heartwarming ceremony
New Shoots Scholarships are awarded to students from elementary school through undergraduate and master’s programs, with grants ranging from 3,000 to 12,000 New Taiwan dollars (US$100–400). They are presented in five categories: Scholarly Accomplishments, Academic Improvement, Filial Piety, Special Achievements, and Perfect Attendance. Yao, a music major at a national university, has received the scholarship for several years. She said Tzu Chi’s support has eased her family’s burden.
“It is truly something to be grateful for that, in this imperfect world, there are always people like bodhisattvas mending its flaws and spreading warmth wherever they go,” she said. She added that every year, when she and other recipients attend a ceremony, Tzu Chi volunteers greet them with warmth and smiles. “They treat us like their own children,” she said. “Even though we aren’t always good at expressing our gratitude, they give us unconditional love and care.”
Yao works part-time during summer vacations and uses her scholarship money to cover airfare for performances in South Korea. She thanked Tzu Chi for helping her pursue her passion and explained how she and her siblings give back: “Every time we receive the scholarship, my younger brother, sister, and I each donate ten percent back to society to pass on the love and kindness. ‘Never wait to give back’ is the spirit our mother taught us.”
Each award ceremony is both warm and dignified. At the Banqiao ceremony on October 24, buses brought students and their families from Taipei’s Wenshan District and several areas in New Taipei City to the venue. They passed through bamboo gates labeled “Peace Gate,” “Health Gate,” and “Wisdom Gate.” Some recipients even served as volunteers, helping with gift packaging and rehearsals from early morning, working side by side with Tzu Chi volunteers. Volunteer Lai Yi-ru (賴怡如) said, “Seeing the children so focused on their tasks, we feel their enthusiasm. I believe they understand that their contributions can make a difference in the lives of others.”
A college fair was held at the Taichung Jing Si Hall ceremony on November 1, where scholarship recipients—current college and master’s students, along with former recipients who have graduated—shared their schooling experiences with high school students and offered guidance on choosing a college major. Lin Qi-wei (林祺惟), from the Department of Electrical Engineering at the prestigious National Taiwan University, talked to interested students about what an electrical engineering program involves. “Tzu Chi’s care and financial support have made me who I am today,” he said. “I’m very happy to be here guiding the younger students. I hope my experiences and advice can help them avoid unnecessary detours.”
That day, 397 students received scholarships, with principals from 14 schools in attendance. Wei Zhi-hua (魏志華), principal of Siyi Junior High, thanked Tzu Chi volunteers for their long-standing care for low-income and disabled students: “Even though these families face disadvantages, the support from Tzu Chi volunteers helps the children maintain a positive mindset.” Ke Zhi-ming (柯志明), principal of Wenxin Elementary, also praised Tzu Chi’s support, noting it ensures children from underprivileged families do not feel alone on their educational journey. He offered his best wishes to the scholarship recipients, hoping they can “study happily and with peace of mind.”
Senior New Shoots Scholarship recipients share their schooling experiences with high school students and offer guidance on choosing a college major at Taichung Jing Si Hall, November 1, 2025. Shi Long-wen
