She and Her Girls

Zhang Guimei, a middle school teacher from China’s mountainous west, saw many of her female students drop out of school due to poverty, often ending up in early marriages or labor, which deeply pained her. Determined to change this, she founded a free girls' high school in 2008 to give these girls a chance at education, allowing them to attend college and escape their circumstances. Despite starting with no teachers, students, funds, or experience, Zhang lead the teachers and students achieved the remarkable: every student, despite their initial academic struggles, successfully entered college. The school has transformed the lives of countless girls, changing their fates. However, as the school’s reputation grew and more impoverished girls from the mountains applied, new challenges and difficulties emerged.