The first ever Chinese man given the opportunity to deliver a graduation speech at Harvard University is He Jiang. He is a doctoral student in biochemistry and is considered as the first college graduate in his family.
Mother Lit His Hand Ablaze
During his speech, He Jiang recounted how his mother intentionally lit his hand on fire when he was still a boy. According to Yahoo, He Jiang said that he was bitten by a spider, which was why his mother lit his hand on fire.
While many may not readily understand it, He Jiang continued his heartwarming speech saying that they lived in a small village in China where medical doctors were not readily available. So his mother, upon seeing that his hand was bitten by a spider, wrapped his hand in layers of cotton soaked in wine and lit it.
He Jiang described the feeling as unbearable. He said that he wanted to scream in pain but he could not do anything else at the time other than watch his hand burning. Several minutes passed before his mom finally put out the fire.
The Reason And Inspiration
According to Quartz, He Jiang explained why his mother did what she did. He said that the venom of a spider is made up of proteins. By applying heat, the proteins are deactivated, thereby rendering the venom useless.
He Jiang realized that his mother's cure, albeit non-conforming to modern medicine, was actually effective. That hand-burning incident was what inspired him to take his present course. He said that he wanted to bring the cure and modern medicine to areas that have not been reached before such as to their own village.
He Jiang also vividly recalled how his father told him that the only way he won't become a farmer was to study well, and that is what He Jiang did. With his touching speech at Harvard graduation ceremony, He Jiang surely made his father and his family proud.
