It wasn’t until she was standing on the stage in China, the eyes of 100 million worldwide viewers on her, that Ashley Breinholt (’28) understood the scope of the Chinese Bridge competition. She went on to take second place in the global finals, the highest placement of a BYU student in program history.
The Chinese Bridge competition is an elite event held over several months, meant to foster appreciation for Chinese language and culture in non-Chinese students. More than 50,000 university students from 141 countries applied to the initial round in February 2025. Breinholt was one of 155 to make it to the international round in Pingtan, China, in August.
After living in China and Taiwan for much of her life and minoring in Chinese at BYU, Breinholt was familiar with the language and culture. Still, the competition was demanding, involving written tests, talent performances, trivia competitions, and a speech Breinholt gave about connections between Chinese culture and her own life. “I feel very connected to their emphasis on family. . . . They are really encouraged to do their best in everything for their family,” she says.
Professor ShuPei Wang (MA ’02, PhD ’07), who originally introduced Breinholt to the competition, is proud of Breinholt’s “sustained growth” over the last year. “Witnessing students extend beyond their perceived limits and accomplish goals they once thought unattainable is among the most rewarding aspects of teaching, and Ashley’s journey is a compelling example of this,” she says.
Breinholt was offered a scholarship to study at a university in China, which she’s turned down for now while she finishes her degree at BYU. Still, she’s “definitely looking at studying a master’s program” in language or education in China, hoping to continue her connection to the country.
