Even at a vibrant international school, Stephanie stood out because of her cheerful and positive personality. She describes herself as "active and involved".

Stephanie joined the volleyball, football, and basketball teams soon after she entered YCIS, and later became the captain of both the football team and the volleyball team. When team members skipped training sessions, she searched the campus and persuaded them to come to the practices. She was also a member of the school's sports committee, responsible for organising sports days for the primary and lower secondary students. The younger students thus recognised Stephanie and often greeted her. In addition, Stephanie was the president of the school food committee and the leader of her house.

For Stephanie, these titles were not important. What mattered to her was having a positive impact on others and making the campus a better place for everyone.

As vice president of the sports committee, Stephanie and her team established an "Exercise Science Laboratory". They secured funding from the school to purchase equipment such as oximeters, pressure plates, and motion sensors to measure and assess the physical conditions of the of students. As a result, the students could monitor their muscle strength during exercises, and modify their activities when running, squatting, or throwing a ball.

According to the charter they established, the Exercise Science Laboratory will acquire new equipment each year, thus ensuring its long-term operation.

Stephanie has always cared about the feelings of those around her.

Reflecting on her lower secondary days, when she felt a bit intimidated by senior classmates, Stephanie understood the fear that junior students might experience when they step out of their comfort zones. She thus took the initiative to engage with them, lighten the atmosphere, and show her sense of humour.

She often worked with younger students. Over time, the atmosphere became more relaxed and enjoyable, and no one was afraid of their "big sister". Stephanie explained, "Working with the younger students can be challenging, but it's also a lot of fun. They're all so cute." She finds it "heart-warming" that they remember her fondly.

The food committee has a low profile. It has few members, and its activities rarely attract many students. Nevertheless, the committee plays a crucial role in everyone's daily life. The committee collects feedback about the school's food, reports the opinions of the students to the cafeteria managers, and suggests adjustments regarding the taste and the preparation methods of the food. In addition, the committee organises food-tasting activities.

Thanks to the efforts of Stephanie and her peers, the food quality has significantly improved, and there have been fewer leftovers. Alumni visiting the school have remarked that the cafeteria food is better than it was a few years ago.

An important motivation for Stephanie was to ensure that those who work behind the scenes receive proper recognition. She wanted students to acknowledge the efforts and contributions of everyone, including the chefs, the staff who purchase the food and supplies, and the members of the food committee.

For this reason, Stephanie organised her classmates to write and present thank-you cards to the school's "unsung heroes”—the janitors, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and other support staff.

"These staff members have tough jobs. Many students, however, take them for granted, and sometimes are even disrespectful or have a bad attitude. I wish that students would show more appreciation to these people," Stephanie said.

One time, a cafeteria manager hugged Stephanie to express gratitude for Stephanie's efforts on the food committee. Most of the cafeteria staff do not speak English well. Stephanie's patience helped to bridge the communication gap and promote better interactions between the cafeteria staff members and the students and the teachers.

Everyone wants to be seen and recognised for their efforts, Stephanie understands this feeling well, because she also desires recognition.

When the school held a Christmas party, the teacher in charge asked Stephanie to be the host. Because Stephanie knew many people, the teacher thought that Stephanie could create a friendly environment at the party. Stephanie agreed without hesitation. She enjoyed being in the spotlight because this allowed others the chance to get to know her personality rather than just to be aware of her presence.

Stephanie's efforts have paid off. After the COVID-19 pandemic, many students left the sports teams. An interview and a screening were all that had been required to join the teams, but Stephanie needed to find new ways to recruit team members. Despite the challenges, she persevered and participated in three games during her busy final school year.

"It's a legacy," Stephanie said. "I took the junior students to the competitions and let them experience the joy of the sports. It was a fulfilling achievement for me."

This empathy for others might come from Stephanie's family upbringing. Her parents do not have the "tiger parent" mentality common among Chinese parents. Stephanie never attended any tutorial classes as a child, and she choose her own hobbies to study. Even when she decided to quit something halfway, her parents never criticised her, but always prioritised her feelings above everything.

Stephanie is grateful for her teachers. She appreciated their friendliness and professionalism. They were also patient, encouraging, and fun. In the Sports, Exercise and Health Science course, the teacher guided her through a kinesiology paper to ensure that it met the standards of a journal for publication. As a result, she gradually mastered the norms for writing papers, the use of academic language, and data processing and analysis skills, all far beyond high school level.

Reflecting on her experiences at YCIS, she feels that she has gained very valuable skills, such as the ability to learn independently, maintain self-discipline, discover her own shortcoming that need improvement, and continuously explore her potential.

She also hopes to help others learn these skills. During an exchange programme with Chongqing public secondary school students, she emulated her own teacher's approach, and taught through the use of games. She encouraged the students to express their own views in class, especially when their opinions differed from the teacher's. This fostered a relaxed and engaging classroom atmosphere.

Her interactions with other people sparked Stephanie's interest in psychology. She wants to understand how the brain functions and how one's environment and experiences can subtly influence a person. In the end, she was admitted into the psychology programme at the University of Edinburgh, which has a competitive acceptance rate of 15 percent.

Charlie sometimes has difficulty deciding whether she feels more connected to Beijing, where she studied and grew up; or to Hong Kong SAR, where she was born, where she has her official residence, and where her parents lived for many years. For Charlie, deciding her identity is a complicated issue.

When Charlie moved to Beijing with her parents as a young child, she could only speak Cantonese. For many years, she struggled to learn Cantonese, Mandarin, and English simultaneously, and her academic performance was not strong. Perhaps because of these language challenges, Charlie was a very shy child with low self-confidence—until volleyball changed her.

Charlie rarely spoke at first. During the volleyball games, she passively obeyed commands and seldom discussed tactics with her teammates. The senior players on her volleyball team encouraged her shout confidently, just like the athletes she saw in world-class volleyball matches on television. When Charlie performed poorly, her teammates comforted her, and told her to enjoy the game and not to blame herself. They encouraged her to focus on how to improve herself for the next match.

With the support of her teammates, Charlie became a confident and active leader. She was no longer a shy and quiet girl. After a former captain graduated, Charlie served as the captain of the school volleyball team for two consecutive years. Volleyball thus became both a hobby and form of healing for Charlie.

Charlie loves volleyball because it is a sport that emphasises teamwork. "Volleyball is not just about skills and physical fitness. Players must understand and trust each other to win." While playing volleyball, Charlie experienced a sense of belonging; she felt connected and at "home" in the volleyball team.

Most international schools do not emphasise Chinese language courses enough, but YCIS offers students at least one Chinese class every day. Despite the challenges, Charlie is grateful for YCIS's commitment to Chinese language education. The programme has not only strengthened her Chinese language skills, but has also helped her to gain a greater understanding of Chinese society and the culture of Beijing, the city where she now lives.

Charlie prefers the friendly, relaxed lifestyle of Beijing, over the fast-paced environment and interpersonal relationships in Hong Kong SAR. Although she returns to Hong Kong SAR with her parents during holidays, she now feels more at home in Beijing, and she is more accustomed to Beijing people and the ways that things are done in Beijing.

Nevertheless, she still sometimes feels overwhelmed. "Every culture has its own values, and different cultures have various ways to judge whether something is right or wrong," Charlie explained. She grew up struggling to understand these differences. For instance, in Hong Kong SAR or among international students, people tend to express their thoughts and opinions more openly, even when they disagree with others. In contrast, traditional Chinese cultural norms often encourage speaking less and avoiding direct disagreement.

Growing up in diverse cultures, Charlie found it difficult to establish her own identity but also found it rewarding in other ways. "I can understand why people make very different decisions and behave differently. This has made me a more understanding and empathetic person."

Having received many acts of kindness, Charlie has also actively helped others as she has grown up.

She tutored English to the children of migrant workers for two consecutive semesters. Lacking teaching experience, she had difficulties tutoring children with a weak foundation and limited understanding of English.

"It's an online programme, and initially, we struggled to get them to speak," Charlie explained. After reflecting on their own experiences learning a language and how their teachers at YCIS had taught them, Charlie and her partner Sara adapted various teaching methods and materials. They eventually discovered that reading short passages and practicing dictation were the most effective approaches.

Charlie felt a sense of accomplishment watching the children, as they started to speak English actively and shared more about themselves.

During her upper secondary years, Charlie started to think about her future and developed an interest in psychology. "Psychology is fascinating, It is obviously a science, but it explores how people feel." Charlie regards psychology as a bridge between the humanities and the sciences. She is intrigued by how psychology can quantify something as abstract as human behaviour in an objective, scientific manner.

Charlie found the YCIS Advanced University Preparation Programme (AUP) very impressive. Under the guidance of her teachers, she read psychology publications and explored how psychology can be applied to diverse fields, such as sports, the arts, and personal relationships. The course also featured a professor of psychology from the University of Aberdeen, who presented a fascinating application of psychology to agriculture. In addition, the teacher posed questions about the real-world applicability of the scenarios described in the texts, challenging the practicality of the psychological techniques. Charlie felt that this approach significantly improved her critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking training has been a constant during the entire upper secondary period, and Charlie was also impressed with the "Theory of Knowledge" course. "It encouraged us to think about how we acquire knowledge and whether that knowledge is reliable." The course covered various areas, such as the humanities, art, mathematics, and science, and explored how the knowledge in these fields interconnects and complements each other.

Charlie had never realised before how crucial mathematics has been to the development of the natural sciences. Mathematics is not only a tool. Its underlying structure is also closely connected with the natural sciences, mutually promoting the advancement of new branches within both fields.

In the future, Charlie wants to pursue a career in psychology, either by undertaking research or by working in a clinical setting to help others. She hopes to reduce the stigmas associated with mental health issues, and contribute to the advancement of the discipline.