New Taipei City has recognized 12 students who kept studying and competing despite rare diseases and serious injuries, a positive story about resilience in the city's schools.

• Mayor Hou Yu-ih met the group, naming three winners of the Presidential Education Award and nine winners of a separate award for determination in school.
• One elementary student lives with a rare skin blistering disease that makes every dressing change painful, yet plays jazz drums and wins calligraphy prizes, and wants to teach music to disadvantaged children.
• Another student with a mitochondrial disorder took a national under-12 Rubik's Cube title and now speaks publicly about rare diseases.
• A high school taekwondo athlete tore both knees, went through two surgeries and three years of rehab while her mother fought cancer, then won silver at the national Presidential Cup and earned a place at Kaohsiung Normal University.

Outlook: The city plans to send the students into schools to share their stories as models of life education.