"It is my fervent hope that all girls will break free from the shackles of tradition to pursue lives brimming with limitless possibilities…"

Researcher Supported by the Cuomo Foundation Obtains Her Doctorate

Yucong Lin, a Chinese researcher supported by the Cuomo Foundation, recently obtained her doctorate from Ca' Foscari Venezia University in Italy, where she conducted her research for four years.

Entitled "Interannual Variability and Extreme Precipitation Factors in the Yangtze River Basin," her endeavor is scientifically validated by the IPCC and made possible thanks to funding from our Foundation as part of the scholarship program initiated by the UN body.

On the occasion of her thesis defense, we present an extract from the preface to the study, in which the young researcher expresses her gratitude to the Cuomo Foundation, among other partners. It's a moving and precise description of her situation as a woman from a traditional background who seeks to find her place in the global scientific community.

Reflecting on the days when I was an underinformed and isolated weather forecaster, it was the beacon of further education that extended a helping hand, pulling me from a life of stagnation. I am immensely grateful to Dr. Silvio Gualdi and Dr. Enrico Scoccimarro for granting me this invaluable opportunity and for their guidance and inspiration in the past 4 years.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Ca' Foscari University, the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change, the IPCC Scholarship Program, and the Cuomo Foundation for their generous funding. This extraordinary journey of mine would not have been possible without their unwavering support.

I have always been a strong-willed child, unyielding in my ways. Often, I've pondered whether I would have the patience to parent a child like myself, and invariably, the answer has been no. Imagining the challenge my family - my parents and grandparents - faced in understanding and accepting me over the years is overwhelming. I am deeply thankful to be your child.

I grew up in a region where the preference for sons overshadowed the value of education, and a marriage certificate was held in higher esteem than a diploma. I acknowledge that my fortune, rather than just my efforts, afforded me the chance to study abroad and savor life experiences beyond the wildest dreams of many girls from my community. My journey, despite feeling unremarkable and unskilled, has brought me to this point, and it is my fervent hope that all girls will break free from the shackles of tradition to pursue lives brimming with limitless possibilities and newfound liberty.