2003 Courage and Adventure Award 

Name and school: Xin-yao Chen (陳芯瑤), from Our Lady of Providence Girls’ High School

My dream: To live my life to the fullest - healthy and happy.

My idol: People that don’t bow their head to hardship, such as renowned female musician Lena Maria—she was born with no arms and uneven legs, but still she continues to sing out her songs of love and hope.

Person who has influenced me the most, and why: My 5^th grade teacher, Si-yi Li (李熙毅). I learned three key things from her:  1) Whatever you do, do it bravely, 2) Do not let opportunities pass you by, and 3) Always be prepared for whatever lies ahead.

Encouragement for the rest of Taiwan’s daughters: Just relax, and be yourself! In the words of a popular song, “Because I believe, my hopes will be realized.”

Reflections of a Champion: Winning this award felt really good. As I passed each round of the competition, from judge’s interviews to paper reviews, finally emerging at the winning tier, I felt unparalleled honor and joy. Winning this Courage and Adventure Award gave my life an unexpected splash of beautiful colors.

I am so happy that my hard work paid off, and this has inspired me to believe in myself. A popular song says “17-year-old girls are flighty, not good for much,” but as long as I work hard and experience every moment with all my heart, my 17-year-old life becomes more and more creditable and wonderful. From now on I can let my self-consciousness slip away and boldly sing a different pop tune, “Being myself is very carefree.” 

When I imagined receiving this award, the stage on which I live my life appeared wider, offering more opportunities than ever, and people were applauding, congratulating, and cheering. I must thank everyone who has encouraged me, and I will continue to work hard and humbly push myself.  I want my hope and my smiles to inspire others to have courage to face life’s many challenges and adventures. 

I want to especially appreciate those that have constantly supported me behind the scenes: The ROC Children’s Cancer Foundation, because I had your help as I battled with eye cancer, and because every year you developed my interest in art and creativity through the Children with Cancer Art Contest. I always loved my life, but now my eyes have been opened to how truly wonderful life is, and I love it even more. Though I have lost a lot, I have earned even more. I know that I am unique and special. Even being nominated for this award filled me with pride, so winning has me overjoyed!

Even in the desert wasteland, there is still one plant that blooms - the cactus. I want to be like a cactus flower, blossoming to make the desert sunset even more beautiful, making our world a place of love and caring. In a world of “average,” I hope stand out as special; I want to relish my life, increase my potential, courageously face extraordinary challenges, and always pursue soaring expectations. 

Of course I must share this honor with my friends, family, teachers, elders, classmates, doctors and nurses: Thank you, to my family, for always caring for me and never letting my illness seem more important than me. I also want to especially appreciate the Garden of Hope Foundation, for letting me have this opportunity to affirm myself as a Daughter of Formosa. I am glad I had this occasion to know the other girls who received awards. I wish everyone a wonderful present and a wonderful future, and I want to encourage those who did not get awards, because we are all working hard together to be the best daughters of Taiwan that we can be.

Judges’ comments: Xin-yao’s faith can be summarized as “I see because I believe.” This faith and confidence help her overcome her physical and emotional illnesses and depression, and face life’s problems with optimism. She encourages everyone who suffers with her disease by sharing from her own experiences. She worked hard to develop her artistic talents, finding hope through artistic expression.