Students Rising Above

(CBS 5) Amily He was in middle school in China, when she decided she needed to learn English. She knew she'd need it, if she ever made it to the United States. So, she started watching American movies and TV shows with a new intensity- studying the language. Whenever she heard a new word, she'd look it up in the dictionary.

It paid off. Amily has only been in the U.S. for less than four years, but in June 2007, she graduated Valedictorian from Skyline High in Oakland.

That year, she was the only student in her city to go to Harvard. Her college counselor Luz Chavez says she has never seen a student with a similar work ethic. "She is amazing", said Chavez.

And really, those accomplishments only begin to tell Amily's story. She had to buck the system within her own home to get anywhere. China, she says is male-dominated, and her father didn't think girls needed to go to college. But Amily's mother encouraged her to study hard. Science and math were her favorite subjects, certainly not what her father believed would shape her destiny.

Only after hearing the details of Amily's life, does one begin to see the steely strength behind her sweet face.

Although they immigrated to find a better life, her parents did not escape the problems within their home. There was never much money, but Amily says when her father developed a gambling problem, it grew worse. Her family is unfortunately not alone in this regard. A survey by the NICOS Chinese Health Coalition in San Francisco found that gambling is the number one social concern for Chinese Americans. 15% are classified as problem gamblers. 21% were classified as pathological gamblers.

For Amily, the worst was her father's growing anger, and the violence that followed. Amily says she and her mother lived in constant fear. One day was worse than the others, and Amily made the difficult decision to call 911. A restraining order was put in place, and Amily hasn't seen her father since.

Imagine the courage it took to make that call. Her counselor says, that is what makes Amily who she is.

"I tell myself I did the right thing," said Amily." I need to move on."

Part of moving forward meant, they had to make a living on their own. During the summer after high school, Amily worked two jobs to help pay the bills. Her mother had three part time jobs. Every month, they would worry about the rent, the utilities and sometimes Amily knows her mother skips meals to feed her.

"She always tells me that I am not hungry" said Amily. "But when she eats, she eats a lot, so I know she needs it."

When I asked her counselor how difficult Amily's life has been, she answered, "on a scale of 1 to 10, a 9.5."

Because her mother does not speak English, Amily serves as interpreter, and guide in this new country.

"Because she always says she came to the U.S. she has nobody here. But I told her, I am your family. Don't forget me. I am her hope", said Amily. "In fact, I am her only hope".

There is definitely a symbiotic relationship between this mother and daughter, who both wanted more than what China provided women.

Said Amily of her mother, "she supports me, because she did not have the opportunity in the cultural revolution back in old China."

And this very American daughter now tells her mother, "you need to stand up. You can't be affected just by one man or by a marriage. You are a really strong woman. You gave me the power so I can be where I am today".

I asked Amily how she managed to get through all this in one piece.

"Start each day with a smile", she said. "Jnd just treat everything with a positive approach."

A bit of Chinese philosophy helped too.

"Life has both yin and yang, good and bad. It is a symbol of life", explained Amily. "The white dot in the black zone means that no matter how hard life is, there is always a white spot. There is always a light that you can reach, so don't get depressed. There is always hope".

Her counselor says, "Amily is a person who takes the bad and turns it into good." She embraces the hard parts of her life, as well as the triumphs.

"This experience taught me to speak up and to own my own voice" Amily says.

We hear your voice Amily, and we'll be listening for more.

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