In the high, remote mountains of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province, a young boy once spent his days herding yaks and walking for hours to school. But a free boarding vocational education program has changed everything. In the final episode of our special series Boarding on Hope, CGTN's Huang Yue meets the young Tibetan, now a nuclear-grade welder who has worked on China's most ambitious energy projects. 

In the tight corridors of a nuclear power plant, sparks fly as molten metal meets steel. 

Every weld must be flawless, because inside these pipes, the reactor's highly radioactive, high-temperature, high-pressure coolant will flow around the clock once they start operation. 

Meet Erji, a nuclear-grade welder with China National Nuclear Corporation. 

ERJI Nuclear-grade Welder, China National Nuclear Corporation "In 2021, the company came to our school to recruit. It was really inspiring. So I joined the nuclear industry. I had already earned several honors back then. In school, I won all kinds of awards, including the National Technical Expert. I met all the qualifications they were looking for."

Erji's very first project was Hualong One, China's self-developed, third-generation nuclear power technology. 

On one of its main pipelines, a code was permanently engraved: A3807, Erji's worker ID. 

ERJI Nuclear-grade Welder China National Nuclear Corporation "It means responsibility. Having my ID stamped on the pipe means I am responsible for it for life."

But far removed from the high-tech world of nuclear energy, Erji's story began in the mountains of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China's Sichuan Province. 

Set on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the region is defined by its breathtaking landscapes and an average elevation of over 3,500 meters above sea level. 

Born in 1999 into a Tibetan family, Erji's early life was shaped by the demands of the plateau. 

Attending school meant hours of walking along rugged mountain paths, and after classes, he would help his family herd yaks. 

For a time, education felt out of reach, and so too did the hope of a different future. 

ERJI Nuclear-grade Welder, China National Nuclear Corporation "It was quite far. I had to walk to school every day. I was a little boy at the time. I would wake up very early and walk all the way down. By the time I got to school, I was already exhausted. I would just fall asleep on the desk. Later, the school started offering boarding. So I began living at school, and became a boarding student."

Boarding eased the burden of his long commute, but by the time Erji was about to finish ninth grade, he still wanted to give up on school. 

ERJI Nuclear-grade Welder, China National Nuclear Corporation "My family didn't have much. And honestly, my grades were really bad. I just couldn't keep going. I wanted and thought about giving up to drop out. I wanted to ease the burden on my family, go out with my parents to work, and help support my younger brother's schooling."

A turning point came with China's "9+3" free vocational education program. 

Launched in Sichuan in 2009, it offers Tibetan students three years of free secondary vocational education after nine years of compulsory schooling, covering tuition, living expenses, and medical insurance. 

For the first time, Erji saw a path forward. 

He chose welding, hoping to learn a skill that could help him earn a living. 

Boarding at the vocational school, Erji didn't have to worry about daily life. But the training was brutal. 

Once again, he thought about giving up. 

ERJI Nuclear-grade Welder, China National Nuclear Corporation "My teacher talked with me about some harsh realities. He said, 'Three years will pass quickly. When you finish school, do you really want to go back home, live like your parents, herding yaks, getting married, having children there, and letting your kids walk the same path you did?' Those words really struck me."

That conversation lit a fire in him. 

He pushed himself harder, sometimes practicing up to 15 hours a day. 

And his persistence paid off. 

After joining China National Nuclear Corporation, his determination only grew stronger. 

ERJI Nuclear-grade Welder, China National Nuclear Corporation "Every time I hear the news that another reactor has been connected to the grid, I feel a deep sense of pride. I think that through my hands, all those pipes were connected, bringing electricity to millions of homes. That's something worth being proud of."

Erji has moved on to a new nuclear power project. 

He's setting his sights on mastering automated welding technologies, preparing for the next wave of industrial innovation. 

And he's also passing on what he knows, training a new generation of welders. 

ERJI Nuclear-grade Welder, China National Nuclear Corporation "I was shaped by the country's good policies. Without the targeted poverty alleviation programs, and all the supportive policies I got, how could I have ever walked out of the mountains? Let alone being able to contribute my own strength to a major national project. Even though I'm just a small part of the project, it gives me a real sense of achievement."

Erji's journey is more than just one man's story. 

It's a glimpse into how opportunity can reach the most remote corners, how a young person with a dream and a steady hand can forge a life they once only imagined to be possible. 

Huang Yue, CGTN, Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province.