With teacher's encouragement, florist with learning disability wins international competition

Liao En-lin, a florist who was diagnosed with a learning disability, has achieved international acclaim by winning a horticultural competition. His success was significantly influenced by a teacher's pivotal encouragement to persevere.

This year, Liao established "Shi Cao Xu," a space dedicated to aesthetic floral design, in Tainan's Shuijiao She district. To commemorate this milestone and express his gratitude, he invited the teacher who inspired him to attend the opening. Liao's journey began with his grandparents raising him in Tainan's Rende district, while his parents managed a forklift and freight business. Initially, his family hoped he would pursue mechanical engineering to join the family business.

However, during his schooling, Liao was identified as having a learning disability, which impacted his academic performance. He found solace and interest in gardening with his grandparents, leading him to pursue his passion in the horticultural field. His dedication earned him recognition as a horticultural athlete with multiple awards. A teacher from Tsung-wen Agricultural and Industrial Vocational High School's encouragement to continue his studies enabled him to enroll at Yunlin University of Science and Technology, further pursuing his interests.

Liao's international triumph came at Belgium's "Féerie Florale," Europe's largest flower festival. He secured the championship in the floral headdress competition, which requires participants to create wearable floral art under strict preservation conditions while mastering structural integrity and overall visual aesthetics. Following this success, Liao opened "Shi Cao Xu" in June, blending lifestyle aesthetics with floral design to invigorate the Shuijiao She area. He plans to host an indoor market, "Shi Shi Market," on two weekends this month and next, featuring various brands and local delicacies.

“

don't give up