Wang Jing (Haley), a 22-year-old girl from Dongguan

Wang Jing (Haley), a 22-year-old girl from Dongguan, who just graduated from Vanderbilt University in the United States this year, has received postgraduate offers from nine prestigious global universities, including Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Ivey Business School, which would have been impossible to even think of for her 12 years ago.

Once she dropped out of school, learning brought her back.

Wang Jing was very lively and filled with wonder about the world when she was a child. However, in 2009, she was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome (TS), and her world dimmed.

Tourette syndrome (TS), rarely known by people then, is a neurological immune system disease. The cause of TS was not known, and there was no specific remedy for it. Individuals with Tourette's have sudden, repetitive and involuntary body movements or vocalization involving different parts of the body. Examples would be rapid eye blinking, head jerking, or facial movements. Sometimes, they may shout out obscene words suddenly, hit people, or make a loud and strange sound. Therefore, Wang was received strange eyes from others and even suffered verbal violence. Even an affectionate greeting made the 10-year-old girl felt uncomfortable and stressed.

In the fourth grade, she decided to drop out of school. After staying at home for a few months, her parents sent her to an international school whose courses are taught in English near home as a stopgap. In less than three months, thanks to her interest and efforts in learning English since childhood, although she put back to the second grade, she quickly caught up with her peers. Gradually, she had regained confidence in her studies.

During the time in the international school, Wang chose to "hide" her disease. She used coughing or rubbing her eyes to cover up her tic disorder. When she couldn't hold it, she would rush to the toilet and cry out, minimizing the interference with the class.