Written by Dennis Lee and HueyShann Sue
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by
Tzu Chi USA Midwest Region held its 2025 Scholarship Award Ceremony at Jing Si Hall on July 26. Students, teachers, and parents gathered to celebrate the academic achievements of the scholarship winners and their dedication to serving society alongside their studies. Nine students, including high school graduates entering college this fall, and previous scholarship winners currently enrolled in university, received this year’s scholarship. They attended the heartwarming ceremony with their families.
Scholarship applications opened several months ago, targeting graduating high school seniors and past winners. The review team comprised young volunteers from Chicago, several of whom will receive their volunteer certification this year. They carefully reviewed all the applications and interviewed applicants at the Tzu Chi Chicago Service Center, via home visits, or over Zoom meetings to learn more about their backgrounds, achievements, and goals.
Heartwarming Ceremony Moments
Volunteer Tsechao Chien acted as the award ceremony host. He opened by warmly welcoming all guests, followed by an acknowledgement of the students’ courage and perseverance in facing challenges and maintaining their efforts amid today’s turbulent times. The ceremony featured a rich program, including an introduction video of Tzu Chi, a video reviewing the work of the Tzu Chi USA Midwest Region in 2024, and an interactive Q&A session, all aimed to deepen attendees’ understanding of Tzu Chi’s global and local footprint and impact.
In his speech at the ceremony, Tzu Chi USA Midwest Region Executive Director Chong Hsieh encouraged students to persevere in their studies while continuing to contribute to society during their free time, in addition to recognizing the winners’ hard work and efforts.
Midwest Region Chapter Deputy Executive Director HueyShann Sue said that “We aim to alleviate the financial burden of attending college for these students through the scholarship. Not only have the students excelled academically, but they also have actively participated in community volunteer services.”
We hope they will continue helping those in need during their free time in the future, rather than being forced to work long hours to pay for their expensive tuitions.
Chong Hsieh also expressed gratitude to the scholarship review team. In addition to the $1,500 scholarship that each winner received, they were given a gift bag filled with love, containing a bamboo bank, a copy of Jing Si Aphorisms, eco-friendly chopsticks, seaweed crackers, a peace pendant, and the Tzu Chi Monthly Journal.
Story of Tzu Chi's Founding Ignites Aspirations
During the ceremony, scholarship winners and their families shared their personal stories and journeys. They also expressed their gratitude, noting the significant impact this scholarship has on their educational journey.
Audrey Setiawan is going to New York University soon. She has gained profound inspiration in the story of Tzu Chi’s founding: “I felt so inspired that people with little can still give. This motivated me to reflect on my own experiences and realize that you don’t need a lot to be able to help others”.
When I first researched Tzu Chi, I saw that it was founded by Master Chen Yan and the 30 housewives who started it. Seeing that empowered me as an Asian American woman who wants to give back to the community.
Audrey said, “College is very, very expensive, and every little bit counts. This scholarship is me taking a step in the right direction for my education. I’m very excited to further my education in business and politics at NYU. This scholarship means that there are a lot of people who are relying on me and trusting me to make a difference in the world, and that’s empowering. As I’ve said, I’m so inspired by Tzu Chi’s founding, your organization, and the kindness of your volunteers. I do feel at home here, and you are a very nice group to be with. I am so honored to be a scholarship winner”.
Her father, Oscar Setiawan, also shared how proud he was, “for any parent, there is always a joy to see an accomplishment from their children, especially for my daughter, Audrey, to be able to do the work to seek out a scholarship and find an organization that aligns with what she wants to do and a lot of the things she’s already doing for the community”. He added that Tzu Chi’s work is “a blessing” that inspires the next generation. Oscar grew up in Indonesia and heard about Tzu Chi as a child. Though he never participated, he knew it helped many people.
Disaster Relief Spirit Inspires Dream of Helping Others
Armoni Butts, who vows to become a travel nurse, was deeply inspired by Tzu Chi’s disaster relief missions. “What stood out to me the most was definitely the missions you guys did in different states and countries. I saw the one you did in Indiana and I thought that was amazing”, she explained, “ I want to help people after tornado disasters and things like that”. She noted that, as her annual tuition is $52,000, this scholarship plays a crucial role in easing her financial burden.
For Weichen Chuang, this scholarship stood as personal validation of her long-term involvement with Tzu Chi’s volunteering activities. “I’ve been doing Tzu Chi activities since I was really young”, she said, “coming here and doing a lot of stuff has really contributed to my personal growth as a human and who I am. It’s definitely impacted my career choices”. She emphasized how much Tzu Chi meant to her, how Tzu Chi taught her a lot about being compassionate and charitable, and said she has aims to be more like that in the future.
Although surprised to receive the scholarship, Erica Ruiz-Yamamoto was drawn to Tzu Chi’s missions and hoped to build connections through it. “I think what really inspired me were all of the volunteer efforts. I saw videos of the global efforts, but I think what was also really inspiring was what they are doing right here in their community locally and the multitude of ways that we can get involved just as volunteers”. She emphasized that this scholarship would alleviate her financial burden at Northwestern University, allowing her to focus on her studies and experiences.
Long-term Involvement Cultivates Compassion
Yeling Yeh, who attended Tzu Chi Pre-school 15 years ago, candidly shared her personal transformation. She admitted that she “used to be really self-centered and selfish”. However, when she got older and moved to Illinois, and joined the Tzu Shao, “it gave me a whole new perspective on what it means to give”. As a medical student, she views the scholarship as a constant reminder, “This scholarship is just going to ground me and remind me of why I wanted to do this in the first place whenever I feel like I’m starting to get lost”.
Abbey Chaidez, a second-time scholarship winner, emphasized Tzu Chi’s core principles – compassion, kindness, peace, and harmony – in her essay. She reflected on the scholarship’s profound impact. “Looking back on it, even though the amount may not be as much as some other opportunities may give, it really does make a huge difference”. Abbey concluded by expressing deep gratitude, feeling Tzu Chi “(has) opened up your doors and made me a part of your family.”
It was also just nice to think about how many people gave in order for me to receive this, which was very touching.
Encouraging Volunteer Participation
Tzu Ching Dennis Lee also introduced the Tzu Chi Collegiate Association (Tzu Ching) to students, encouraging them to continue volunteering during their university years.
As the ceremony drew to a close, Tzu Ching Kunahung Lin led everyone in learning the sign language “One Family”, allowing guests to further feel the love of Tzu Chi. Everyone felt like one family, caring for one another. Before the ceremony concluded, everyone was invited to join in prayer for themselves and their families, and to wish for social harmony and a world free from disasters and hardships. Volunteers prepared a delicious vegetarian lunch for guests to enjoy together.
