Sponsored by Beijing City International School (BCIS). Located in Beijing’s CBD, BCIS lives by its motto: “Empowering and Inspiring Through Challenge and Compassion.” This not-for-profit, co-educational day school provides a personalized, inclusive international curriculum under the International Baccalaureate (IB) World School system, offering the PYP, MYP and DP to both expatriate and Chinese national students from Toddler to Grade 12. For more information, please email admissions@bcis.cn
Twice a year, Beijing City International School publishes its magazine, Xue Xi, which is distributed freely among the school community and sometimes beyond. The content of Xue Xi is rich and diverse, like the community at BCIS itself. Each issue has a theme, with the current issue following “Reflection.” It includes articles and creative writing from students, teachers and other members of staff, as well as great photos of recent events. If you need a clear window into the school’s community, then Xue Xi is one of the best places to start.
One of the regular features is “Alumni” where a BCIS graduate is invited to reflect on their time at the school, and share how they are doing now. This year, as part of celebrating the school’s 10th anniversary, and in line with the theme of “Reflection”, the school invited its very first graduate, Jiang Ruoyi (Class of 2009), to share her experiences:
“After graduating from BCIS, I went on to study at New York University. People say New York is a melting pot of nationalities and cultures, a rich tapestry of disparate ethnicities woven together into a single entity; the same can be said of BCIS. The teachers and students came from all over the world, spoke in different accents, and told different life stories, but we all came to the same place and befriended each other. The two years I spent at BCIS taught me two things above all:
- The best way to learn about another culture is to meet people from that culture
- Second/third-culture kids bear a unique gift for multicultural communication.
Our experiences make us the perfect cultural brokers to end prejudice. As I write this, I am on the verge of launching a platform in New York dedicated to the promotion of Contemporary Chinese Design and Arts. The idea is to break the “Made in China” stigma by showcasing sophisticated and well-crafted design products, thereby creating an opportunity for meaningful dialogue between consumers and Chinese designers. This enterprise requires a deep understanding of cross-cultural communication and, the ability to think critically and creatively, to take on risks and challenges, which, looking back, BCIS has well prepared me for. So thank you for the last 10 years of endeavor, hope there are many more years to come.”
Graduating in 2009, Jiang Ruoyi (Ray) was the first ever graduate of BCIS. It is fascinating to see reflections of her time at the school, and how far she has gone already after completing university studies. We thank Ruoyi for taking the time to communicate her story to us so that it may be shared it with the world.
Photos: BCIS
