Born in China, Yaqiao’s parents divorced when she was three. Life was difficult for Yaquai and her mother who was a poor single parent. A teacher by training, Yaqiao’s mother decided to immigrate to the US to give her 11-year-old daughter a better future. Her mother immigrated first; Yaqiao two years later. Learning English was a challenge but Yaqiao was determined to read and write. In 2006, tragedy struck when her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Yaqiao found herself alone in the US when her mother decided to return to China where she died in 2007. Her mom’s illness has inspired a curiosity in medicine. “I hope to discover a medicine to cure cancer so I can help other little girls save their mothers and have a happy life.” As the first person in her family to attend college, Yaqiao hopes to pursue a medical degree at UC Berkeley this fall.

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