NearlytwomonthsaftermyregistrationatELCollegeRhodesfoundationcourse.Shockingly,IwasinformedthatthisfoundationcoursewascancelledbecauseELcampuswasgiventoUFH,andwecouldcontinueourN4levelstudyoffinancialmanagementbutthatcoursewillnotleadustotheentranceofRhodesUniversityanymore.Ifeltmywholeworldwascollapsed;therewasnohopetoliveinSouthAfricaanymore.Asyoumentionedinyourarticleaboutthishandingover,manystaffinEastLondonfeltbetrayedbythedeal.Butyouwouldneverknowtherewasaheartbreakingforeignstudentalsofeltbetrayedandevencheated.Iwantedtocry,butwho’sgoingtolistentome.WhomshouldIappealto?Who’sgoingtotakethisseriousresponsibility?Iaskedalltherelatedstuffinthecollege;IwalkedtotheNewFortHarecampustofindoutwhat’shappened,withamapinmyhandasIwasn’tevensurewherethecampusis.SomeRhodesstuffhadleftsincethehandingover,andtherestofthemhadtoomuchconfusiontosortout,theyhadnotimetohelpthispoorstudentandeventheydidhavetime,therewasnothingtheycoulddotopreventorretrieveit.NowIcanunderstandwhynobodycouldanswermeatthattime,becausenobodyknowsexactlywhat’shappenedandwhat’sgoingtohappen.Icouldn’tandwouldn’tblameanyoneaboutthischange.Itjusthappenonmeandprobablysomeotherlocalstudentsaswell.
DrWoods,rememberyousaid“wemustallmoveon”accordingtothis.ButIcouldreallynotmoveonduringthatperiod.Aftertalkedtomyparentsviainternet,IdecidedtogobacktoChinaafterIgottheN4certificateinthemiddleof2004,becauseIcouldreallynotthinkaboutanyotherwayelsetomakeup.
AnolderfriendofmineknewwhatIwashoping,shesaidtome:“well,althoughyoucan’tstudyatRhodesasyouplanned,atleastIcanhelpyoutoachievehalfofyourgoalbeforeyoureturntoChina.”SoshedrovemetwohourstoGrahamstownfromEastLondontoshowmewhatRhodesUniversityreallylookslike,butnotonlyinthepicture.IwalkedaroundeverydepartmentofthecampusandfeltsosorryandpitythatIcouldn’tbeastudentofanyofthem.Eventually,IwenttotheStudentBureauinthemodernbuildingandhadthisbrieftalkwithMrs.Wicks.ShecommiseratedaboutmycircumstancesandsuggestedsomeotherpossiblepathstocometoRhodes.
InJune2004,insteadofgoingbacktoChina,IregisteredatUniversityofSouthAfricatodoapreparatorybridgingcourse.Aftersixmonths’correspondingselfstudy,Ipassedalltherequiredsubjects.ThenIwentbacktoChinatowritetheIELTSlanguagetest.
Iwaspartedfrommyparentsfor10months.MyfamilythoughtIchangedalot,fromalittlenaiveteenagertoamatureadult.ButnoonecouldunderstandhowhardthatyearwasformeandhowmuchIsuffered.17shouldbeabrightandstunningageforagirl.Butbecauseoftheunpleasantexperienceandstruggle,becauseofaclingingdream,Ididn’treallyhavehappytimeinmy17thyears.
Thenewyearof2005wasn’teasyformeatall.IwaswaitingforthereplyfromRhodesofmyapplicationanxiouslyinChina.Isatinfrontofthecomputereveryday,checkedmyemaileverytenminutes.However,Ionlygotanegativereply.MyapplicationfailedbecausemyUNISAresultarrivedtoolateandalsomyqualificationwasnotfullymeetyourhighrequirement.
ThenIhadtomakeacrucialdecision,stayinChinaorcomebacktoSouthAfricastudyasUniversityofFortHareinstead.Finally,IdecidetocomebackbecauseMrs.WicksaidifIcouldpassallmyfirstyearcoursesinUFHEastLondoncampus,thenRhodeswillthinkaboutagainonmyapplication.SoIwantedtotakethelastchance.
Attheendofthefirstsemester,luckilyIpassedthem;IpostedthemarksreporttoStudentBureauassoonasIcould.SoonIgotadespondentletter,Ihaven’tbeenselected.Bythattime,Iwasreallytired,Iwasn’tverysad,probablymyfeelingwasnumb.Icomfortedmyselfthat:“It’sfine,clamdown,Lucy.ItshowsthatyouarenotqualifiedtobeaRhodesstudent.Let’sgiveup.”SoIgaveup,triednottothinkabouthowmucheffortIpaid,butmyheartwasalwayspainful.
OnedayinOctober2005,IgotanunusualbiggerthickerenvelopefromRhodesagain.Ididn’treallyexpectanything;Ithoughtthatwasjustarepeatedpost.WhenIopenedit,Inearlydroptheglassinmyhandonthefloor.Surprisingly,thatwasanofferfromRhodes！Thedateshowsthatitwassignedjustafewdaysafterthepreviousunsuccessfulletter.Butbecauseofsomereasonthisofferwasdelayedbythepostoffice,ithaspastthedeadlineofrevertingthreeweeks.Icouldn’twaittofindoutwhat’sgoingonthere,thenIwastoldthepreviousletterwasamistake,IwasfinallybeacceptedbyRhodesUniversity！
InFebruary2006,Iwaswalkingaroundthecampusagainastwoyearsago,samepersonbutdifferentmood.I’mhereasastudentofRhodesUniversitybutnotavisitor.Iwillenjoymyeverydayofstudyingathere.AndIbelievethatthesedayswillbemymostpreciousmemoriesinmylife.IloveRhodesUniversityandI’mproudtobepartorit.
DearDr.Woods,I’msorryit’snotaninterestingstory;probablyyouhaveheardsomanysimilarthingsinyourcareerbefore,besidesmyEnglishwritingisnotthatgoodeither.ButIjustwanttosharemyhappinessofbeingaRhodesstudentwithaspecialperson,whoalsolovesRhodesandsacrificedtenyearsofhislifetoRhodesUniversity.Thankyou,Dr.Woods,thanksforeverythingyoubringtoRhodes.YouwillalwaysbetheleaderandguiderofRhodesUniversityinourheart.
Ihopetherewillbemoreandmorestudentslikeme,comingfromallovertheworldtostudyatourUniversity.Andalsohopeyouwillhavegreattimeandrestaftertheretirement.
Lastly,mayIbegforalittlerequest?CanIpleasetakeaphotowithyouasafuturememory?IfeltsopitythatImissedyouropeningaddressduringtheOrientationweekbecauseIwassick.SoIreallyhopeyoucangivemealittlechancetomeettherealyou（notonlyonthepicture）,evenjustfortwominutes,willbeagreatpleasureforme.
Thankyousomuchforyourattention.Andallmybestwishesforyou.
Oneofyoursheep:LucyMeng