Seize every opportunity
Chen Yiting was in the same Boyo class as Lin Haoxing; they were the same age, and would often compare study notes. When Chen was a student at Boyo’s Puli center, she was the one leading the way in livening up the atmosphere, but she was also one of the few who liked going to the teacher for help. Energetic and positive in nature, she values the resources and encouragement she received at Boyo, and recalls her time there vividly.
“Not you again, Chen Yiting! Please quiet down.” Supervisor Wu Wen-yen patrolled the hallways every day to make sure students followed the rules. While he looked stern on the outside, to Chen Yiting he was like a strict but caring father. Wu kept up with every student, making sure to ask them how they were doing when he saw them. More than just a supervisor, he was also a friend with whom the students could talk. With her time at Boyo many years in the past, Chen still thinks about the supervisor who was both a teacher and a friend.
Teachers at Boyo after-school classes come from diverse backgrounds, something which affected Chen in a number of ways. Her English teacher, with a head of tousled curly hair, was in a band, and taught the students more life truths than English words. “You can play if you want to, but you have to know how to pull it off. You need to be good at playing and at studying, like me.” The teacher’s words made a lasting impression on Chen, who played hard and studied hard.
After graduating from junior high school, Chen began her studies at the Affiliated Senior High School of National Chi-Nan University. She discovered that regular academic classes did not satisfy her appetite for knowledge, so she made up her mind to transfer to a vocational school to study knowledge and technical skills with practical applications. After studying business administration, she was able to conduct a sales analysis from multiple perspectives while working for a beverage shop, which resulted in her becoming shop manager at a mere 20 years of age.
She worked in Taoyuan for five years to escape her estranged family. When she got the news that her grandmother had fallen ill, Chen applied for a job transfer so she could go back to her hometown to be with Granny.
“I think I’ve come across a lot of special people. Without them, I don’t know where I would be now.” Chen is grateful to her teachers at Boyo, her previous boss at her part-time job, and her boss at the beverage shop. The wisdom and knowledge they shared with her became a force that keeps her moving forward. As a shop manager, she has come to appreciate the difficulty of running a business. She respects Lee Chia-tung for the many years of effort he has put into Boyo, ensuring that students who can’t pay tuition can have access to a free after-school program and a brighter future.
Chen Yiting has these words of encouragement for Boyo students: “There is always something to learn, whether it be from a person or a book. You must take advantage of where you are and whatever resources you have.”
Teaching methods at Boyo are tailored to students’ individual needs. Before teaching new content, teachers test students to make sure they understand the concepts they have already covered.