It was a dark and stormy night. The ferocious wind shook the windows wildly, as though someone outside were beating on the glass. It was also New Year's Eve. We were having our annual party and had a house full of people just starting to celebrate.

Suddenly, we heard loud explosions. Looking outside and up into the hills, we saw sparks(火花) flying from electrical transformers(变压器). One area after another went dark up in those hills. Then there was the loudest explosion of them all and our house went dark too. I tried to find every candle we had and lit them. The candles made everything look lovely. But we had problems. We had fifteen people standing around and we still had to cook dinner. How would we do that without electricity?

The barbecue! Why not cook on the barbecue? We men went outside, some holding flashlights and others cooking. We did a wonderful job. The women stayed inside and got the salads ready. Everything was delicious. There were still a few hours to go before the beginning of the new year, so we all sat around the dining room table and sang up until a few minutes before midnight. We couldn't watch the ball drop in Times Square on television but that wouldn't stop us from celebrating. I stood on a chair and, with the help of someone's watch to tell us the time, we all counted down and I dropped a tennis ball! We all screamed Happy New Year. We didn't need electricity for that!

Nowadays, we still get together with the same group to celebrate the New Year and we still talk about that special night. I don't think we have ever laughed so much as we did on that New Year's Eve.

Growing up poor and having parents who didn't receive a good education, I often struggled at school. What was worse, my parents often moved to different places. They likely did not realize the damaging effects it had on my learning as they moved from apartment to apartment, year after year.

I attended seven different schools from kindergarten through the 8th grade. With a fragmented (片段的) education, I entered high school, not doing well in literacy and math. But it was not until I attended a major public state university that I really understood the academic gaps that I had in comparison to my peers. I had to work particularly hard to not only understand the textbooks and lectures, but also catch myself up in basic skills of writing and comprehension. But I wasn't the one to forgo. No matter how hard it was, I persisted.

Today, I have many degrees, three of them are Master's Degrees and I am currently in my second year of studying for my doctorate in Educational Leadership.

I share my story for various reasons, but mainly due to the hope that another young child, possibly growing up poor, can realize that an education is the ticket to the quality of life. It can happen for that child. One can be successful! One can overcome all obstacles.

Some days will be extremely tougher than others and someday those accomplishments will glow (发光), but giving up is not a wise choice. It certainly won't lead to the light at the end of the tunnel. Therefore, we should take advantage of the challenges and difficulties to make us stronger and reflect on how to beat all the differences. We should foster our thinking that current challenges have been designed to build upon our strength, not tear us down. In this way, we can fulfill our long-term goals.

Tom, a 15-year-old inventor and entrepreneur (创业者), witnessed at his own school the widespread consumption of sugary drinks by kids. He knew there had to be a better portable drink solution and decided to innovate from something he saw in his own home. fruit infused (浸泡) water.

Tom watched his mum make healthy fruit infusions but then struggle for a take-along option. From observing his mum and from his desire to give kids better drink options, he came up with his original model for the Fun Bottle. "I wanted to come up with a healthy, natural way for people to drink when on the go. A big part of my mission is to get people of all ages off sugary drinks," Tom explains.

The bottle is made with a strainer (滤网) that allows the great tastes and natural sugars of the various fruits and vegetables you choose to come through the water, without any of the seeds or skins flowing through.

Tom is proud of his design and excited to be selling the Fun Bottle on his website and in stores, but this 15-year-old is most proud of the opportunities that Fun Bottle presents to others. It helps to provide healthy alternatives to sugary drinks; and also Tom donates part of the profits to the Organisation for a Healthier Generation (OHG).

Tom has been awarded several prizes, but this teenage innovator remains humble. When asked what advice he'd give other entrepreneurial youth, he says, "Prepare and have your family's support. It is important to know from the beginning that there are a lot of highs and lows, and there is no such thing as overnight success."