As we close in on the end of another academic year, beijingkids would like to congratulate students from the international school community on their achievements and say farewell as Beijing students move on to new horizons. We spoke with three recent Yew Chung International School of Beijing (YCIS) graduates about finishing high school and going off to university.
Danny Chan: (Hong Kong)
What will you miss most about high school?
There are many things I will miss about YCIS – the teachers, the various activities, even the challenging IB program. These components collectively helped to make my high school life; fantastic and unforgettable. But I will definitely miss my friends the most. We spent two great years together in the IB Diploma program and I’ll never forget the times we had together. Some of my best memories are my eighteenth birthday celebration with my friends where we had fun all night long, my teammates cheering me on during volleyball ACAMIS, encouraging me instead of blaming if I made a mistake. I still remember the day we finished IB and we were all out celebrating. This list can go on forever.
What are you looking forward to most about attending university?
I will be attending the University of Washington, Seattle campus, and I plan to study business. Attending university would mean a new type of life for me. Not living with my family means I will become truly independent, well maybe not financially. I’m looking forward to having more freedom. I am also excited about meeting new people and live in a new country. It’s just a brand new stage of my life, and I am looking forward to the different experiences I shall encounter.
Susie Lee: (South Korea)
Do you have any advice for your peers at YCIS Beijing?
Don’t be afraid of what might happen as a consequence of your actions. Go and try new activities. My English wasn’t strong when I first came to YCIS, and communication was an obstacle to pretty much everything. However, I admitted the fact that I can’t just avoid the reality and tried to ask others for help to achieve my goals instead of being embarrassed of my own flaws. You can never be perfectly prepared all the time. I recall back to certain moments like when I asked if I could join school jazz band as a drummer – and think what I would have missed the opportunity if I didn’t try! I want to higlight the importance of challenge – If something doesn’t work, then you can move on and find another chance, but if it does, then it was really worth taking on the challenge.
What will you miss most about high school?
I would say all the people in our powerful and hardworking graduating class. Everyone knew each other, worked as a team and we showed our community spirit in the school. We were harmonious and friendly, which made every single minute together a lot of fun. I will definitely miss these people who were an integral to of my amazing three years at YCIS Beijing, my first experience of an international school. The YCIS film festival, in which I was one of the four leaders for the inaugural event launched when I was in year 12, the Global Politics simulation, Action Day and our very original graduation ceremony would never have happened without this creative and caring class.
Do you know which university you will attend and which subject you will study yet?
I will be studying at KAIST with a free major in the first year. It will give me a chance to find out which area of studysuits me the most, and that will help me narrow down my tremendous willingness to major in five different subjects. Nonetheless, I will pursue my studies on “game theory,” a study of mathematical strategic decision making, although I haven’t decided the specific subject yet. “. I would like to minor in business engineering in addition to my major for my future career after I graduate from university.
Nathalie Chun: (Singapore)
What are you looking forward to most about attending university?
I am definitely looking forward to being in Washington D.C, the center of American politics as well as meeting new people from all over the world. I am also excited about studying international relations as I believe that it is a truly fascinating subject and my surroundings will only help to enhance my experience.
What will you miss most about high school?
I think undoubtly I will miss my friends and classmates the most. We bonded and persevered together through two years of highschool and that experience is something I’ll cherish and never forget. I’ll also miss my truly exceptional teachers and all the wonderful times that we had together.
Do you have any advice for your peers at YCIS Beijing?
Cherish the little moments. High school is stressful and there is a lot of work to do, with all the internal assessments and university applications, but cherishing the little moments in between are going to make your life much easier to deal with. It’ll help to keep you sane and remind you that all your classmates are all in this together with you and that everything isn’t only about school.
If your school would like to feature your graduating class of 2014 by participating in “Congratulations to Graduates,” please contact School Editor, Yvette Ferrari, yvetteferrari@truerunmedia.com
