Graeme Clark Scholarship in 2009

Hear all about the winner!

Sophie Li

Bilateral cochlear implant recipient Sophie Li, a Melbourne University student and daughter of Li Cunxin, better known as Mao’s Last Dancer and a former principal with the Australian Ballet, has been awarded the prestigious 2009 Graeme Clark Scholarship.

For Sophie, having cochlear implants is the culmination of her parents’ dream for her to succeed in a world of sound.

“I was 18 months old. The doctors diagnosed my profound deafness,” recounts Sophie. “My parents’ world fell apart. They were both world famous ballet dancers, and could not imagine how to raise their first child in a world without hearing and without music. So they resolved to do everything in their power to help me speak and give me a sense of sound.”

"Receiving the Graeme Clark Scholarship is the highest honour for me, as such an association with one of my heroes is the ultimate inspiration. I am committed to helping and inspiring more people to achieve their dreams – whether those people have disabilities or not.”

Sophie is in her first year of a Bachelor of Environments at the University of Melbourne, with a view to continuing into architecture. “I’m passionate about the arts, architecture and the environment,” she says. “I’m constantly in awe at the unlimited possibilities to create a better and more beautiful environment for people, animals and all living things.”

Like her parents, Sophie loves to dance and has been dancing for 15 years. She teaches dance, and made history as one of the first cochlear implanted dancers to receive a Premier’s Award for VCE Dance.

Not only can Sophie communicate in English, she completed VCE Chinese, despite the enormous difficulties presented by the subtle intonations of the Chinese language. She is now also learning Spanish as part of her university course. “By mastering the three major world languages, I hope to have access to communication on a global scale, as I believe that communication is essential to making positive contributions to mankind.”