WKU Reader | Yu Huiyu: From Page to Stage, Giving Classics a New Voice
In 2025, at the 13th Zhejiang Province College Students Classic Chinese Reading Competition, Wenzhou-Kean University won one second prize and four third prizes in the individual section, plus a second prize in the comprehensive section.
Yu Huiyu, a 2024 Communication major from Wenzhou-Kean University, claimed the individual second prize. “If I had to describe myself in three words, I would choose explorer, expresser and connector,” she says. Here is her story.
Explorer: How classics ignited the spark of reading
As an explorer, Yu Huiyu first discovered reading through her primary-school teacher. The teacher set up a book corner and held weekly sharing sessions, yet Yu insisted that “reading isn’t as much fun as playing.” Unwilling to give up, the teacher pressed a worn copy of Robinson Crusoe into her hands. Half-doubting, Yu opened it—and was instantly hooked. While classmates chased one another down the corridor, she sat at her desk building huts and taming goats with Crusoe, imagining herself shipwrecked on a desert island. After school she carried the book home and sneaked in a few pages before starting her homework. Reading became her small but certain joy.
The first book she finished cover-to-cover was How the Steel Was Tempered, which she found on a second-hand stall. “The cover was torn, but the title pulled me like a magnet,” she recalls. Over the next week she devoured every spare moment, and Paul Korchagin’s perseverance showed her the power of conviction. That story planted a lifelong resolve to pursue excellence and never give up.
Expresser: From silent reading to giving the world a voice
For Yu Huiyu, reading is nourishment for the spirit and a dialogue with soul. "Reading" allows her to learn and think from diverse perspectives and understand different cultures; "Reading" gives the courage to express herself, allowing her to convey emotions through reciting classics; "Reading" also teaches her to think independently and maintain clarity in the flood of information.After entering WKU, she moved from silent reading to giving the world a voice. As an expresser, she thrives on broadcasting, hosting, and recitation, so she quickly joined the university hosting team and soon became its captain. She is now a familiar face at every campus arts event and emcee competition.When the Fifth WKU Classical Recitation Competition was announced, Yu Huiyu seized the chance without hesitation. "This is not only a stage to showcase my recitation skills, but also a deep dialogue with literary classics and a precious opportunity to let the power of Chinese culture be heard," she said. During rehearsals she refined every pause and stress to convey the exact emotional hue of each line. The meticulous work taught her that expression is not just vocal output, but the precise delivery of emotion. "Standing in the spotlight, I felt I was talking to the author across time and space; I was in awe of the power of words, and more determined than ever to transmit cultural values."
Beyond the contest stage, her communication courses at WKU taught her how to make her scholarly voice heard. "The major ignited my curiosity about public relations, media and mass communication," she explains. Her professors couple theory with practice: in Public Speaking they begin with the basics—choosing topics that resonate with specific audiences, projecting confidence through posture, gesture and eye contact—then analyze classic speeches frame by frame to dissect rhythm management and emotional impact. They also offer personalized coaching, steering her toward cutting-edge cases and internship opportunities and staging mock press conferences and communication-planning workshops. Gradually she learned to analyze social phenomena through a communication lens and to solve real-world problems with professional tools.
Connector: From campus stage to rural classroom, let professionalism shine
As a "connector," Yu Huiyu's stage extends beyond campus. This summer, as head of publicity for the School Sprout Group, she joined a volunteer teaching trip to Central Primary School in Tongpu Town, Wenzhou. Not only did she film the experience, but she also stepped onto the podium herself, turning her broadcasting know-how into vivid, engaging lessons. She taught children to imitate the sounds of the four seasons with their voices and guided them to use body language to convey emotion during recitation. Watching the youngsters widen their eyes as they copied her pronunciation and mouth shape, then eagerly raise their hands to show what they had learned, she realized that communication is not just about shining on stage—it is about using professional knowledge to spark curiosity in someone else's eyes.
This teaching experience, like her earlier recitation contests and hosting performances, has continually redefined what it means to be a "communicator" on WKU's diverse platform. Whether she is interpreting classics through her voice or empowering rural education with her knowledge, every attempt brings her closer to her goal of "using her voice to convey ideas and her profession to warm the world."
Apart from her volunteer teaching, the year Yu Huiyu spent at Wenzhou-Kean University opened her eyes to the charm of its international education. In class, professors from diverse cultures used vivid case studies to broaden her horizons; after class, she swapped hometown stories with friends from around the world. This atmosphere of diversity and inclusion made learning fresh and exciting. Fully English-medium instruction, a global faculty and daily cross-cultural exchanges were no longer slogans on an admissions brochure—they became the lived reality of her university life. Constantly pushing herself and enriching her perspective, Yu came to see WKU as fertile soil where dreams can take root and grow.
Today, Yu Huiyu presents an excerpt from Surpassing Ourselves by Chinese-American writer Liu Yong. In this inspirational work, Liu Yong reminds us that life’s greatest enemy is seldom the outside world—it is ourselves. Hesitation, complacency and fear can all stall our progress; only by constantly breaking through and surpassing our own limits can we unlock our true potential. Using the simple metaphor of a child learning first to walk and then to run, he encourages us to keep moving forward. Let us now rediscover that spirit together in Yu Huiyu’s recitation.
