Rolling Meadows teen makes leap from Chinese orphanage to MIT

The story of Emma Nelson's journey from an eastern China orphanage to an elite East Coast university begins in 1993.

At least, that's how she thinks it started.

The Rolling Meadows teen can't be sure exactly when or where she was born. Emma knows only that authorities estimated she was 2 years old when found wandering a train station in Changzhou, a bustling metropolis of nearly 1 million people 100 miles west of Shanghai.

Now 18, the Fremd High School graduate and budding engineer doesn't waste time feeling sorry for herself or her humble beginnings.

“My birthparents didn't want me, but I don't think about it too deeply,” Emma said. “I'm excited for what I have and what's ahead.”

In fact, Emma considers herself among the lucky ones to survive China's controversial one-child policy, which has led to all kinds of gender discrimination due to the hefty fines levied against families with multiple children.

Being female didn't help, as male heirs who will be around to take care of their elderly parents are more coveted.

Neither did having albinism, an inherited condition in which a person lacks pigment in his or her skin, hair and eyes, leaving most, including Emma, visually impaired.

That's why Emma feels blessed that after four years in an orphanage, Ken and Carol Nelson adopted her in 1999 at age 6 — they think — and brought her to Rolling Meadows.

The quick-witted and spirited teen — who didn't speak a word of English when she came to the U.S. and yet graduated from Fremd with a perfect 4.0 GPA — also is an accomplished pianist and singer, qualities that landed her a spot in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's freshman class.

“Pretty much my life has been completely different from what it would have been had I stayed in China,” Emma said. “I know it wouldn't be nearly as enriching.”

Opening Emma to a new world were the Nelsons, who despite being in their mid-50s decided to explore adoption after watching a national TV news program on the widespread abandonment of young Chinese girls.

“I turned to Ken (who served as mayor of Rolling Meadows from 2003 to 2011) and said we ought to do something,” Carol Nelson said. “The usual response is to send a check, but something about this felt different.”

First, they adopted Emma's older sister, LoriAnne, in 1996 from a Chinese orphanage, or social welfare institute as they're known. The joyful experience prompted them to inquire about a second child, but they were turned down because of their age.

The Nelsons then asked about adopting a special-needs child, which was arranged through the World Association for Children and Parents.

The transition to life in America proved difficult for a while, as Emma was a “willful little thing” who was nervous around her new parents, sleeping horribly and grieving for the life she knew.

But increased communication strengthened their bond, with Carol reading countless picture books to Emma and helping her speak proficient English within just a few months.

She soon excelled in school, eventually getting selected for the choir, Tri-M Music Honors Society and National Honor Society.

Emma also explored her competitive side, a trait that drove her to the piano in an effort to be better than the other kids. Her parents, thinking the instrument would prove to be yet another fleeting hobby for the then-10-year-old, refused to pay for lessons until Emma worked her own way through a beginner's book.

She did, and before long she was playing Chopin nocturnes and other pieces at concerts and competitions.

“After a while, playing the piano became less about being better than everyone else and more something that I truly enjoy,” said Emma, who counts eating with friends among her favorite activities.

The piano teacher Emma's parents eventually did hire, Karen Nedzel of Rolling Meadows, said her student is one of the smartest, most motivated and musically inclined people she's come across.

“It's been wonderful to see her blossom,” Nedzel said. “At first she was in it to win it, but she learned to pour her heart and emotion in what she does.”

Through the years, only once did Nedzel have to enlarge sheet music for Emma, who will always have severe vision problems because of her albinism.

The way a doctor explained it to her, eyes need the pigment she lacks to fully develop. And the nerves that connect from her eyes to her brain aren't wired right, so they don't completely work together. She's also told she doesn't see three-dimensionally.

Emma has adapted in various ways, from teachers giving her advanced copies of class notes to finding another method of taking tests that require filling in tiny circles.

Emma got her driver's license using bioptic telescopes mounted on the frames of her eyeglass lenses. It's an ongoing learning process, and she can't drive at night or when it's too bright, but she refuses to quit.

“I don't see that well and trying to learn (to drive) was one of the most horrible times of my life because it's the only time I ever felt incompetent at doing something,” Emma said. “But I was determined because I'm not willing to have anyone call me disabled.”

She also refuses to let anyone feel sympathy for her, and opted not to disclose her eyesight issues while working over the summer as an intern at Christopher B. Burke Engineering in Rosemont. It was a struggle at times due to small print on some designs.

“That's the only kind of stuff I fear about the future, that I won't be able to see words or numbers in front of me well enough to do my job,” Emma said.

As if school, music and engineering internships weren't enough, Emma is back to studying Mandarin Chinese, something she hasn't done in years.

She and her sister had to be “dragged” growing up every Sunday to Chinese school, where the Nelsons wanted their daughters to study the language, dance and culture to remain connected to their heritage.

When Emma got to high school, she'd had enough and stopped going.

“Emma really wouldn't even tell anybody she was born in China,” Carol said. “She wanted to write she was born in Illinois.”

Emma grew up with a negative attitude toward China, saying she envisioned an impoverished country plagued with human rights violations.

That all changed three years ago when the Nelsons traveled to China with a group that specializes in taking Chinese-born adopted children back to their social welfare institutes.

It was the first time Emma — who was hesitant about the trip — had ever returned. She discovered a fast-moving, modern country with warm people, and even had an emotional reunion with her favorite caregiver at the orphanage.

“It's just so vibrant,” Emma said. “Now, I generally feel a positive attitude toward the culture and the people's determination to make progress.”

Ÿ Kimberly Pohl wrote today's column. She and Elena Ferrarin always are looking for Suburban Standouts to profile. If you know of someone whose story just wows you, please send a note including name, town, email and phone contacts for you and the nominee to standouts@dailyherald.com or call our Standouts hotline at (847) 608-2733.

Emma Nelson

<B>Age:</B> 18

<B>Hometown: </B>Rolling Meadows or Changzhou, China

<B>School:</B> Massachusetts Institute of Technology

<B>Who inspires you?</B> There's so many!

<B>What's on your iPod?</B> Classical, theater, musicals, Lady Gaga

<B>What book are you reading?</B> “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

<B>The three words that best describe you?</B> Positive, Determined, Enthusiastic