2003 Science and Technology Award 

Name and school: Wan-luan Chen (曾琬倫), from Da Tung Senior High School

My dream: To become a highly skilled and professional teacher.

My idol: Everyone who cares about society, who helps people without compromising, these are people that I idolize.

Person who has influenced me the most, and why: My mother, who is a chemistry teacher. Ever since I was young, I watched her students doing science experiments, and gradually learned to do them myself. My mother has taught me one crucial thing: Even the tiniest grain of sand is still worthy of scientific research.

Encouragement for the rest of Taiwan’s daughters: I am so happy to be a Daughter of Formosa. I have assertively, enthusiastically, and open-mindedly accepted any challenges, and even if facing these challenges was hard, success in overcoming them was the sweetest reward.

Reflections of a Champion: In high school, I was a social sciences student, so I was delighted to be able to receive the Science and Technology award. I have always read science books and other publications, which is why I dared to enter this contest. During this contest, I came up against many difficulties. Instead of just asking teachers, I would search for answers for myself. This habit enabled me to face any hardships that I encountered. 

Though I chose social sciences based on my own interests, I refused to limit myself to this field merely because this is my study focus. I have always been eager to challenge myself by participating in different contests. In junior high, I entered a science contest, and won first place for chemistry. My participation in this contest taught me the importance of sharing work and working together. My team worked hard even when we faced failures. We would continually mess up, but rather than causing us to give up, these setbacks only made us more determined.

After this contest, I participated in the Ya-Choe County Internet Science Contest. This contest required a whole summer vacation, and I was grouped with classmates I did not know. Many people in the group gave up because of the difficult level and the enormous time commitment of this competition. But I believe that you have to want to win, and that upholding a sense of honor will push you to succeed. I felt so strongly about this that I could not give up, and kept pushing until the end. I received the second place Learning Award. When the Ministry of Education’s Zhi-lang Zhen (曾志朗) handed me the award, I could not have felt more honored.

Entering this Science and Technology competition was a test for myself. It was a challenge that borrowed inspiration from past achievements and added light to my life. Life is a challenge, and it was with this perspective that I competed in the Daughters of Formosa Award. Confidence from receiving past awards helped me to do it again. Winning this award lifted my spirits and propelled me forward to make improvements in the field of science and technology. I welcome any new challenges that will give me the opportunity to learn.

Judges’ comments: This girl has been interested in technology, chemistry, and astronomy since she was a little girl, instinctively drawing on the resources her environment provided to explore scientific phenomena. She participated in many science clubs, giving her many opportunities to learn. One thing that stands out is her ability to work with others without encountering problems, while actively developing her own interests. The inner fire and strength that she exhibits helped her do things no one could have predicted.