Dear sir:

    When I was in Grade Two, I didn’t feel different from my classmates. I went to school, did my homework, and hung out with my friends. I didn’t know what my goal was, and I thought life was simple — as I was the best student in my class.

    When I was in Grade Two, I didn’t know what I should fight for. My only wish was to stay in the first place — at the top of our class — in our next test.

    However…

    When I was in Grade Two, one day my father told me about the situation in China nowadays. He said that if I couldn’t get into a good junior high school, I wouldn’t be able to compete with my peers. I asked my father to tell me which were the best junior high schools in Shenzhen, and how I could get into one of them. My father said something that I can still clearly recall: “Whatever you wanna get you gotta work hard for.”

    When I was still in Grade Two, I suddenly understood something. I stopped hanging out with my classmates because of the extra classes I had to take. They didn’t understand why, so they teased me and said I was the most boring person in the world. My friends from another school said that nobody from a not-so-well-known elementary school would ever be successful in gaining entrance into a good junior high school.

    When I was in Grade Two, I knew I was different. They were elementary students — I was an elementary student with a goal.

    When I was in Grade Two, I knew what I wanted. Yet I didn’t know how long it would take for my hard work to pay off.

    ……

    When I wrote a true story about something that had happened to me, called “A story about why I hate science,” I had no idea that it would become my first story to be published in an English newspaper, Shenzhen Daily.

    When I got my inspiration from nowhere and wrote my best poem, called “Feeling like a plastic bag,” I didn’t know I was going to recite it on stage at Harvard, in front of some famous professors.

    When I stood on the stage at Harvard University reciting my poem to the judges I was thrilled at their applause. And I got second prize.

    When I decided to take part in a translation contest last December, I told myself I wouldn’t disappoint anybody. And when I heard my name being announced as the champion, I was the happiest 12-year-old in the whole wide world.

    When I returned to school last December, I was no longer just thinking of my high marks and enjoying myself. My goal was no longer as shallow as “to be number one in my next test.”

    When I returned to school last December, I started to dream a new dream.

    I have a dream — to get into Shenzhen Foreign Languages School, one of the best junior high schools in Shenzhen.

    I have a dream — to become a student at such an excellent school and to receive an education in a good environment.

    I have a dream — to prove to everybody that a student from a not-so-well-known elementary school can become a student in a well-known junior high school.

    ……

    I have a dream — to be recognized by you, the respected principal of Shenzhen Foreign Languages School.

    My English name is Mary. I am from Class Four, Grade Six of Meiyuan Primary School. I hope you will read my letter and notice me.

    I hope my dream can come true because I never give up and always push myself forward.

    Yours faithfully,

    Mary Liu

    March 22, 2013