Sparks to Fire

Two and a half decades ago, Holt donor and adoptive mom Tina Gsedl created a fund to help children in China attend college. Now a Holt board member, Tina now reflects on the fund’s long-term impact — and invites sponsors and donors to help children pursue their educational dreams through a new program: the Technical School Student Program.

As I find myself in the middle of my third quarter of life, I have come to the realization that small decisions can result in big impacts — every fire starts with a spark.

Over 25 years ago, on the top floor of a pagoda in China, our guide and translator congratulated me on the adoption of our second child.  As we took in the vastness of the horizon, she asked me what I thought would happen to the kids who did not find forever families. 

I fumbled a bit with my answer — I don’t know, maybe foster care for the lucky ones, orphanage life for the others. I had never thought about it. 

She challenged me to consider their futures and see if I could somehow make it better for the kids left behind.  The spark had been lit.

Over 25 Years of Impact in China

In 2005, I received a letter from a young girl whom we had sponsored through Holt International for many years.  She was in a Holt foster care program, and our financial assistance helped provide her with a foster family, school fees and basic living expenses.  For me, it was the easiest check to write every month.  It was less than one meal out. 

“Our girl” wrote to thank us for all the years of support.  She mentioned that she really wanted to go to teachers’ college, but despite a tuition scholarship, she did not have the room and board funds to attend college. 

It took a year of letters and an exact budget calculation, but in the end, they granted us the opportunity on a trial basis to help her attend college — the China Education Fund was born. 

Fast forward to 2024 — over 200 students have benefited and gained their degrees through the education fund!  As the years progressed, we positively impacted not only the students, but their communities.  The partnership assisted countless future teachers, architects, accountants and even a few doctors to achieve their dreams. 

In recent years, however, there has been a heightened emphasis from all sectors of Chinese society on supporting financially disadvantaged college students, leading to an increase in avenues for them to secure resources, including interest-free loans, work-study programs and funding from social welfare.

With less need for college assistance in China, our program ran its course and sunset as of August 2024.

A New Path Forward

While China is investing more in helping students attend college, there still remains a great need to help young people learn a trade or gain skills to support themselves and their families. 

In China, following junior high school graduation, teenagers typically face two pathways.  One leads to high school and subsequently university education, where students are generally regarded as academically excellent and enjoy relatively clear career prospects upon university graduation.  The other path is for those who do not meet the criteria for high school admission and need to find resources for trade school. 

To meet that need, I worked with the team at Holt International to launch a new pilot program in 2025 – the Technical School Student Program – which enables young adults to pursue trade school certification.  

In the Guilin area of China, 43.7% of children on the trade school path are at risk of dropping out.  Many of these students originate from mountainous and rural regions where educational resources are scarce, and they encounter numerous difficulties such as financial strain, inadequate societal support, and a sense of self-doubt.

Many of these students have grown up navigating significant challenges, shaped by long‑term childhood experiences and complex family circumstances — including limited parental presence, migration for work, illness and natural disasters.  These overlapping factors have left many children entering adulthood with unhealed trauma. 

Frequently mislabeled by society as “underperformers,” these children are precisely the group that merits our attention.  The Technical School Student Program confronts the stark reality of children on the brink of dropping out. These children hail from underprivileged backgrounds, where families grapple with the excruciating decision between sending their children to work manual labor jobs or continuing their education.

A Year of Learning and Growth in China

One year into the program, the impact is already clear.  So far, over 200 students have benefited from the Technical School Student Program, and 84 students have completed their studies and graduated — each one carrying forward new skills, experience and a clearer sense of what may be possible.

Over the past year, those numbers reflect real experiences — students who were given time and space to learn and grow.  With consistent support, they took part in shared activities that introduced new ideas and practical skills.  These experiences ranged from hands‑on learning with emerging technologies to conversations about health, character and purpose.  Through group discussions, creative projects and learning materials, students were encouraged to look beyond the classroom and imagine the kind of adults they hoped to become.

They also stepped into experiences that connected learning with real life.  Internships and social practice activities introduced students to professional environments, teamwork and the discipline of working toward a goal.  Along the way, there were moments of creativity and connection — shared cultural activities, group learning, and time spent with local volunteers who walked alongside them throughout the year.  Taken together, these moments helped students build confidence, discover their strengths, and take early steps toward supporting themselves and their families.

One Student’s Story

For Lin, this past year marked the first time she was able to imagine a different path forward.

Lin and her younger sister live with their grandparents.  Her sister has an autoimmune disorder, and both grandparents face ongoing health challenges of their own.  They grow vegetables to support the household, but the family’s income is limited and stretched thin, leaving few options for Lin to continue her education.

When Lin first joined the program, she kept mostly to herself.  She avoided eye contact and rarely spoke in group settings.  At school, she didn’t take part in activities and found it hard to express her thoughts.  She showed up, but quietly, as if unsure whether her voice had a place.

Through the Technical School Student Program, Lin was given the chance to explore her skills and interests.  Lin first completed an internship caring for young children at a daycare, where she began to grow in confidence.

With time, patience and encouragement from staff and volunteers, Lin’s strengths began to emerge.  She showed a natural talent in history and dance, and an eye for detail that appeared in her careful handwriting.  She was later matched with an internship at a historical Zhou Dynasty site, where she learned to perform a traditional wedding ceremony and study ancient customs. 

Through this experience, those walking alongside her saw Lin express herself fully for the first time.  These opportunities helped her build confidence and practical skills that she will carry with her into the future.

Carrying the Spark Forward

For students like Lin, enrolling in technical schools, including technical secondary schools and vocational colleges, can serve as an educational remedy.

These institutions focus on practical, hands-on technical training, where students undergo a three-year curriculum encompassing theoretical studies, technical training and on-the-job internships, culminating in a vocational diploma. This credential acts as a crucial steppingstone for them to enter the job market, averting the likelihood of being relegated to unskilled physical labor.

Compared to their high school counterparts, this educational route enables them to start working earlier, alleviating both their families’ financial burdens and their own tuition costs. It also presents an opportunity for them to become skilled members of the workforce.

Through the Technical School Student Program, students are forming small, trusting communities with staff and volunteers, fostering mutual growth and healthy development together.  In these spaces, students are gaining the skills, confidence, and support they need to begin lifting themselves and their families toward a more secure future.

Please consider joining Holt, along with myself and other donors, in helping children pursue their educational dreams. Let’s create a spark for the next generation of young people in their journey.

Tina Gsedl | Holt International Board of Directors​