George and Dorothy Cheng Scholarship

Type

Scholarship / Fellowship

Year Established

2021

Purpose

Award undergraduate scholarships to students in the College of Engineering and Science. (GF000450)

Description

Supports undergraduate students in the College of Engineering and Science, specializing in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. Awardees should be individuals who show entrepreneurial and leadership interest

History

Mr. and Mrs. George Lung Cheng

George Cheng was a career diplomat for the Republic of China and Dorothy Cheng was an artist. Their story started in China involving two wars that went on to shape their life, World War II and the Chinese Civil War, and yet they somehow ended up here in Florida.

Both George and Dorothy were born in a time of major upheaval; a weak China was fighting a war of resistance against a modern mechanized military of Imperial Japan. It was a time when attending school was but a dream. George was orphaned by the war with Japan and was evacuated further West as the Japanese advanced from the East. He dreamed of studying to be an actor to make people happy and to make them laugh because in his childhood years he saw only the sadness and despair of war. Unfortunately, there were no full time schools to attend. Constantly on the retreat, George would catch a few classes at one school and within months be forced to relocate and attend another school. Dorothy was the second daughter of a chief mechanic in the Chinese Air Force. She was much luckier that she was with her family throughout the War. However, life too was a constant retreat towards the West of China. She was younger and did not have to attend school at the time, but she remembered the retreat as one of constant hunger. In addition to never having enough food, there was widespread disease and famine all around her. She lost her little sister to illness during that time.

A civil war erupted in China soon after the Japanese surrender to Allied forces. The civil war ended with the victory of Communist forces in China. Both George and Dorothy found themselves in Taiwan with the retreating anti-Communist forces. In Taiwan, they rebuilt their lives. George found himself on the streets of Taiwan, but soon enlisted in the military. However, he understood the importance of education; he always believed that education was a means to improve one’s circumstances regardless of the situation. He gave up his dream of acting and studied hard on his own to pass the college entrance exams. Because George realized he could teach himself any subject but mathematics, he knew that he could only study in a field that did not require complex mathematics. This ultimately lead him to law school. While in law school, George continued his military service as an English translator.

Dorothy came to Taiwan with the Air Force and lived in the military base. She went to school and found herself studying dance, and then the arts. While in dance school, Dorothy joined a dance troupe that occasionally performed on military bases; that’s how George and Dorothy met and started a new chapter of their life together. After marriage, George knew he needed a career to take care of his new family. Like all government jobs in Taiwan at the time, he had to qualify by passing exams. Through education, hard work, perseverance, and having been a translator, his strong language skills enabled his start with a career in the Foreign Services. As a diplomat, his life changed rapidly for the better. George worked his way up in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from a Consul, to Director, Consul General, Charge d’Affaires, and finally to Ambassador. Along his career path, Dorothy was always there by his side, helping in the way she could as an artist. She taught Chinese painting and calligraphy to foreign friends and dignitaries in countries where George was assigned to: Thailand, Cyprus, St. Lucia, Finland, and South Africa. In a way George fulfilled his dreams of acting, being able to help make people’s lives better. He knew he had made the right choice and was happy with his career as a diplomat. Education, to him, really was the means to improving the circumstances not only for him, but also for his family.

George and Dorothy, as a Father and Mother to three sons, ensured that their children received the proper education. Every step along the way George and Dorothy reminded their sons of the importance of education for a prosperous and meaningful life. After retiring from the Foreign Ministry, George and Dorothy moved to Florida and settled there to be with their children and grandchildren.

Education to make a positive impact in one’s life has always been a key aspect of both George and Dorothy’s lives. Their son’s feel that the best way to honor their memory is through a scholarship. To give back to what has afforded them a better life; education. What better legacy to leave behind than to help as many kids as they can, and for those kids to receive an education that will change their lives for the better.