Zhang Guimei taught at a school during the day and took care of a children's home in her spare time. One day, Zhang met a teenage girl told Zhang that her family was too poor (afford) school fees. Zhang went to persuade her parents to allow their daughter to continue schooling , the parents refused Zhang. With the little girl lingering in her mind, Zhang tried to figure out how to help those poor local girls.
In 2007, Zhang (elect) as a representative of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and attended the meeting in Beijing. A news report on Zhang helped her ambition of building a school girls gained the attention of Huaping county officials and other (support). A year later, Huaping Girls' High School, China's (one) tuition-free high school, opened and enrolled 100 students, with Zhang as its president. Most of the girls were from remote areas.
(follow) in Zhang's footsteps, many of the graduates of Huaping Girls' High School have chosen to work in remote areas.
In July 2021, she was one of the recipients of this year's July 1st Medal, the (high) honor for a Communist Party of China member, for her outstanding contributions to education in the (mountain) region.