At 3 a.m. on April 22, 2012, the atmosphere in the studio of CCTV's "News Live Room" was very tense. 24-year-old Miao Kai, his hands trembling slightly in front of the camera, are experiencing the important moment of hosting a live show as an intern reporter for the first time in his life.
He took a deep breath and tried to calm the apprehension in his heart, he remembered the hard preparations in the past few months, and the long journey he had made from rural Shandong, he knew that this could be an opportunity to change his life, and he silently asked himself in his heart: Can a young man from the countryside really become an excellent CCTV anchor? As the countdown to the broadcast progressed, he knew that the answer was about to be revealed.
In 1988, a new life was born in Dayuanzhuang Village, Shandong Province - Miao Kai. He was born into an ordinary peasant family, his parents were local farmers, and he had a younger brother who was three years younger than him.
Miao Kai spent a childhood in this small village full of earthy aroma, no different from other rural children, however, fate quietly planted unusual seeds for him.
A class speech made by Miao Kai in primary school changed the course of his life. When he stood up to answer the teacher's question, the classroom burst into laughter. Only then did he realize that he was speaking a stammering dialect rather than standard Mandarin.
This embarrassing experience deeply stung the young Miao Kai and became his motivation to learn Mandarin in the future.
From that day on, Miao Kai was secretly determined to change his rustic image. He began to practice Mandarin hard, saving money and buying a small tape recorder. Every day after school, he would hide in a corner where no one was around, repeatedly record his voice speaking Mandarin, and then listen carefully and constantly correct his pronunciation.
Year after year, day after day, Miao Kai's Mandarin level gradually improved, which made him feel the power of self-confidence for the first time, and quietly planted the seeds of interest in broadcasting and hosting.
However, the problem of family poverty has always been a difficult problem for Miao Kai. In order to provide for Miao Kai and his younger brother to go to school, their parents need to save money. My father had no regular job, so he went to a nearby city to do odd jobs during the off-season.
In addition to working in the fields, his mother would also use her spare time to knit handicrafts, such as handbags and insoles, to support the family.
This sense of responsibility has turned into the motivation for Miao Kai to learn, and his grades have always been among the best. The excellent results are not only the support of his persistence in studying, but also the pride of the whole family.
Whenever Miao Kai came home with an excellent report card, the smiles on his parents' faces made him feel that everything he had paid for was worth it.
In 2006, Miao Kai was admitted to Shandong Normal University's broadcasting and hosting major. The moment he received his acceptance letter, the whole family was immersed in great joy.
However, Miao Kai himself didn't know what kind of sacrifices and sacrifices the whole family had made for his dream.
In the fall of 2006, Miao Kai entered Shandong Normal University with excitement. However, after the excitement, the pressure of reality soon became apparent. The broadcasting and hosting profession needs to buy a lot of performance costumes, cosmetics, etc., but these need to raise their own money.
Miao Kai clearly remembers that his monthly living expenses were only 300 yuan at that time, which was far from enough for professional learning.
Just when Miao Kai was worried about tuition, a piece of news came from his home that shocked him. In order to support his brother's studies, the younger brother made the decision to drop out of school and work part-time. This decision is like a deep imprint on Miao Kai's heart.
He immediately called his brother and asked, "Haven't your grades always been good?" Why drop out of school? The younger brother replied lightly: "Let's talk about it later, I want to help you now."
The moment he knew the truth, Miao Kai's eyes moistened, he felt the sacrifice of his family, and he also realized his responsibility. From then on, he was determined to achieve something professionally and not live up to his brother's sacrifice.
He studied harder, actively participated in the work of the campus radio station, presided over various student activities, and tried to seize every opportunity to exercise himself.
In May 2008, Miao Kai's life trajectory changed by chance. At a meeting at Shandong University, he met his senior sister Cheng Yu, who is also from Shandong. At that time, Cheng Yu was already studying at the Communication University of China, and was one year older than Miao Kai.
She was moved by Miao Kai's talent and perseverance, and took the initiative to point out the direction for him in the future: "You either take the postgraduate entrance examination, or you can be admitted to the Communication University of China, which is the cradle of cultivating broadcasting and hosting talents."
Cheng Yu's words gave Miao Kai a lot of inspiration and motivation, and with her encouragement and guidance, Miao Kai began to prepare for admission to the Communication University of China. He used his pocket money to buy professional books and studied them diligently every day.
Every morning at 6 o'clock, when other students are still asleep, Miao Kai has already gotten up to practice vocalization, even during the winter and summer vacations, he insists on going to the library every day to study, often the first to enter when the library is open, and the last to come out when the library is closed.
Miao Kai's hard work paid off, and in 2010 he was successfully admitted to the School of Journalism and Communication at Communication University of China, majoring in broadcasting and hosting arts. As he excitedly told his family the good news, his parents sobbed excitedly on the other end of the phone.
At that moment, Miao Kai felt incomparably happy and responsible.
Looking back on his four years of college life, Miao Kai has experienced a lot, from an ignorant teenager in the countryside to a quasi-announcer with dreams and full of confidence. He overcame financial difficulties, overcame the pressure of studying, and more importantly, he deeply experienced the power of love and support from his family.
Miao Kai stands at a new starting point in his life, with a vision for the future and deep gratitude to his family. He knows the road ahead may be even tougher, but he's ready for the challenge.
With his family's ardent expectations and his own dreams, Miao Kai stepped on the train to Beijing and began his new journey at the Communication University of China.
In March 2012, Miao Kai finally waited for his chance. After layers of selection, he successfully entered CCTV's "News Live Room" for internship. This hard-won opportunity made Miao Kai both excited and apprehensive, and he knew that he had to go all out and not let go of this rare opportunity.
Compared with what Miao Kai imagined, his internship life was more difficult. Every morning at 9 o'clock, before Beijing City fully woke up in the morning fog, Miao Kai had already stepped into the CCTV building. His work often lasted late into the night, sometimes even through the night.
The couch in his office became his makeshift bed, where he could only scribble for a few hours before plunging into the intense work.
Miao Kai was on the TV station, learning hungrily. He sincerely consulted his seniors and made meticulous observations on every detail to improve his business ability. Every mistake put him under pressure, but it also strengthened his determination to improve.
Miao Kai finally ushered in an important opportunity in his life. At 11 o'clock in the evening on April 21, he received a notice to prepare to host the "News Live Room" at 3 o'clock in the morning the next day. This is the first time he has hosted a live show independently, and this opportunity came so suddenly that Miao Kai was both excited and nervous.
Miao Kai barely closed his eyes that night. He practiced the manuscript repeatedly, adjusted his condition, and made final preparations for the upcoming challenge. At 3 o'clock in the morning, when Miao Kai stood in front of the camera, he could hear his own violent heartbeat.
However, years of training and preparation allowed him to quickly calm down and complete the entire live stream smoothly.
After the live broadcast, Miao Kai breathed a long sigh of relief and showed a relieved smile. He knew that he had taken another big step towards achieving his dream. The first successful hosting gave him great self-confidence and also gave him more opportunities on TV.
However, behind the success is a lot of dedication and sweat. In order to adapt to the work mode of 24-hour news broadcasting, Miao Kai's life rhythm was completely disrupted. He often sleeps when others are at work and starts working when others are off.
Sometimes I don't see the sun for days on end, and my diet becomes very irregular.
Despite this, Miao Kai still maintains a high level of enthusiasm. Whenever he was exhausted, he always thought of his parents back home and his younger brother who dropped out of school to work for him. These memories are like his spiritual support, supporting him through difficult days and nights.
During the internship period, Miao Kai not only improved his professional skills, but also improved his will. He deeply realized that the road to realizing his dream is not smooth, and only by persevering in the face of difficulties and hardships can he finally achieve his goals.
When other peers were still worried about work, Miao Kai had already gained a firm foothold in CCTV. This young man from rural Shandong is moving towards his dream step by step, and has also set an example for countless young people with dreams.
With the passage of time, Miao Kai has developed steadily on the stage of CCTV, and gradually expanded the scope of hosting programs, from the initial "News Live Room" to "News 1+1", and even later hosted important programs such as "24 Hours".
Miao Kai's broadcasting style is becoming more and more mature, revealing affinity in his calm and generous, which has won the love and recognition of the audience.
2014 was another important turning point in Miao Kai's life. This year, his girlfriend Cheng Yu graduated from graduate school and chose to come to Beijing to work in order to continue this long-term love, so the two ended their long-distance relationship and started a new chapter in their lives.
Cheng Yu's understanding and support have become the most solid backing for Miao Kai's career, and they support each other, grow together, and build their own small family bit by bit in this strange big city.
Miao Kai, who will be 34 years old in 2022, is already one of the pillars of CCTV. This person who came out of rural Shandong not only realized his dream, but also became a role model for countless young people with dreams.
Every time he stands in front of the camera, he thinks of his hometown, the countryside, his younger brother who dropped out of school to work for him, and his parents who worked hard to provide for his education.
Miao Kai's success not only belongs to himself, but also to the joint efforts of the whole family. He knows that without the support and sacrifice of his family, he would not be where he is today. This sense of responsibility drives him to continue to climb new heights in his journalism career and repay his family and society with his own efforts.
Today's Miao Kai is already the backbone of CCTV, and his success has not made him forget his roots. He often returns to his hometown to tell his story to the children there and encourage them to pursue their dreams.
For Miao Kai, journalism is not only a profession, but also a mission, his goal is to pass on positive energy to the audience through his own efforts, and point out the direction for young people with dreams, standing at a new starting point, Miao Kai knows that the real anchor must not only have excellent broadcasting skills, but also have a deep cultural heritage and deep insight into the society, which is the direction of his future efforts, and his new life goal.