Fruits of labor

Finey Ruan knows she’ll have to work hard to become a doctor. Not that it’ll be a new concept—in order to attend college she’s been working every summer since the eighth grade.

Finey (pronounced “Finnie”), now in her freshman year at the U of I, grew up in the Chinatown district of Chicago. Her parents immigrated to America before Finey was born and raised their family here, running a restaurant where 12-hour workdays were the norm.

Their sacrifices have paid off. Finey’s older sister majors in chemical engineering at the U of I, and her twin sister is studying to become a pharmacist at the University of Michigan. As for Finey, she attended Whitney Young Magnet High School before coming to the U of I for its strong biology and study abroad programs.

She is one of nine LAS freshmen this fall to receive a scholarship under the Lincoln Scholars program, which was established to open the door to college for students with strong academic records who also have financial need. Funds for the scholarship program are being raised in conjunction with the Lincoln Hall renovation.

Coming from a farming community in China, Finey’s family at first found America to be a very foreign culture. Finey’s grandmother tore up the front lawn to grow peppers, string beans, and other vegetables. And when illness struck, the first impulse was to handle it themselves.

“They were really afraid of going to the doctor,” Finey recalls. “And especially when they had a really high fever, and couldn’t do anything about it, I felt really sad.”

It was during one of those times in second or third grade that Finey decided she would be a doctor. With that goal in mind, for the past several years she has used the dog days of summer to prepare for the future. She has an artistic side, and worked one summer as a muralist, and then worked various internships, including one for a tax accountant.

Much of the work, however, was at the restaurant. It meant being on her feet for 10 to 12 hours, dealing with all types of customers. And whenever one of the workers missed a shift or went on vacation, Finey and her siblings filled the shift.

Preparing for college, however, was a priority. Her parents required it, but Finey motivated herself. While she confesses to enjoying video games and medical television dramas in her spare time, Finey says she didn’t need prodding by her parents to excel in her studies. Her parents haven’t had to review her report card since the sixth grade, she says.

“I feel like it’s better to do well myself rather than keep them worrying,” she says.

She also found time for plenty of service work, including tutoring kids at the Chicago Public Library. Finey was also fundraising chair for Key Club and dreamed up creative ideas to raise donations for groups such as March of Dimes and Kids Against Hunger. She visited research laboratories in Chicago hospitals to narrow down her choice of study.

As she settles into a new life on campus she feels almost certain she will major in molecular and cellular biology. Finey feels grateful for the Lincoln Scholars scholarship—it reduces her need for a student loan, she says—and she also feels good about her decision to pursue her dream at the U of I.

“I like the campus a lot,” she says. “It feels a lot like home.”