As a marginalized region of the world, the rural Gansu Province of northwestern China provides an informative canvas on which to examine and understand the ways in which education contributes to the lives of local Muslim women and supports their goals for work. Specifically, this article highlights the role education plays in the life of one young woman as a guest house worker from the Dongxiang ethnic group in the southernmost region of the province. Findings indicate that two types of education, formal and informal, contribute to and help maintain a successful career in the service industry. (Contains 9 notes.)