Graeme Clarke Scholarship winner

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Graeme Clarke Scholarship winner

Sophie Li daughter of Mao's Last Dancer and cochlear implantee The Graeme Clarke Scholarship helps Mao's Last Dancer's daughter achieve a university degree.

The 2009 Graeme Clark Scholarship Winner and bilateral cochlear implant recipient Sophie Li, is the daughter of Li Cunxin, Mao’s Last Dancer and a former principal with the Australian Ballet.

"I was 18 months old. The doctors diagnosed my profound deafness and 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", Sophie recalls.

Having cochlear implants is the culmination of Sophie's parents’ dream for her to succeed in a world 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 has completed her first year of a Bachelor of Environment at the University of Melbourne, with a view to continuing into architecture. "I’m passionate about the arts, architecture and the environment. I’m constantly in awe at the unlimited possibilities to create a better and more beautiful environment for people, animals and all living things."

Mao's Last Dancer book cover 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 believes access to communication on a global scale is essential to making positive contributions to mankind and is now devoting much of her time to deaf related activities. Along with her father she was invited to speak at the Carabez Alliance Ball in Sydney at the end of March which helps raise funds for supporting deaf kids back in Fiji.