Florida Tech Awards Full Scholarship to Chinese Earthquake Hero

MELBOURNE, FLA. —Officials at Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Fla., were moved and inspired by the selflessness shown by 14-year-old Ma Jian in Yingxiu Village following the Sichuan Province earthquake of May 2008. They were so impressed, in fact, that they are awarding the youth a full scholarship to the university.

Ma Jian spent five hours in pouring rain to dig out his classmate, Xiang Xiaolian with bare hands. He then helped two others who were trapped, offering drinking water in the dim glow of a small lighter.

“We were just so impressed with this determined young man who risked his personal safety to rescue others. It would make us very proud to have him at our university,” said Florida Tech President Anthony J. Catanese.