Presidential Education Award Winner with Hearing Loss to Study at NYU on Government Scholarship

National Taiwan University (NTU) student Hung Chia-lu, who was born with a hearing deficit and relies on a cochlear implant to perceive sound, has faced immense challenges in her academic journey. Despite this, she diligently studied English, was accepted for a government-funded study abroad program, and will be pursuing advanced studies at New York University. This year, she was honored with the Presidential Education Award.

The 2026 Presidential Education Award selected 60 winners from a pool of 352 nominees, with an award ceremony scheduled to be held at the Presidential Office on July 3. The Ministry of Education introduced the life stories of several winners in a press release today.

For hearing-impaired students, learning their native language is difficult, let alone a foreign one. However, Hung Chia-lu deeply understands that language is the bridge to the world. Through numerous challenges on her educational path, she cultivated an indomitable will and realized her dream of studying abroad step by step.

After being admitted to NTU's Department of Political Science, Hung first participated in activities to welcome international students. Later, she served as an international intern at the Taipei City Government's Youth Bureau. In an all-English environment, she strove to listen and learn, ultimately collaborating with students from Harvard, Princeton, Penn, and Waseda to complete a policy proposal entirely in English.

To fulfill her dream, Hung applied for a government scholarship, hoping to be one of the few pioneers for hearing-impaired students studying abroad. She was not only accepted for the Ministry of Education's scholarship but also admitted to the Master's Program in International Relations at New York University, proving through her actions that difficulties are not obstacles but opportunities for self-fulfillment.

Hung hopes to learn professional knowledge and practical skills in the U.S. and, upon returning, establish an English education model and learning environment suitable for the hearing-impaired. She firmly believes that hearing loss should not be a limitation but a highlight that accentuates one's character, and it has become her motivation to face adversity and continue growing.

Another Presidential Education Award winner, Huang Ting-li from Chang化 Senior High School, was diagnosed with ADHD and reading difficulties in elementary school. However, he found a way to focus through building blocks, experiencing a sense of peace and accomplishment in the process of repeated assembly, modification, and upgrading. He later delved into LEGO robotics and programming, continuously participating in competitions with the hope of standing on his own stage.

In the future, Huang Ting-li hopes to continue combining robotics, science, and education to develop innovative applications that solve real-world problems and transform his own experiences into a force to support others.

Additionally, another award winner, Chen Ching-ya from Taipei Municipal Minquan Elementary School, was born with a hearing impairment, but her visual and tactile senses are more acute than average. She worked hard to learn lip-reading and achieved excellent results in reading and speech in Mandarin language competitions.

Chen Ching-ya also has an artistic talent. A painting of a strawberry won her an award at the 12th World Children's Painting Competition, and her work was displayed at the Hong Kong City Hall Exhibition Hall. Her sketchbooks are filled with countless imaginative design drawings, and she plans to enter an art-focused class in the future, hoping to one day become a top designer.