You are the only one to define your own life.
Shuyao is a XLIS DP graduate from the class of 2022. She would have been a sophomore this year according to the usual college entrance pathway. However, in fact, she will be a first-year student of college in 2024, starting a brand new learning journey.
It’s hard to imagine that a prospective freshman, already holding an offer of a sociology major at a prestigious British University, could decisively give up the exciting university life that was about to unfold in front of her. Instead, she took a flight to Kenya, where she stayed in a remote, poor local village for two months. In the harsh climate and living conditions, all she wanted to do was to help improve the living standards for women and quality of education for children.
Besides the volunteer experience in Kenya, Shuyao also traveled to Malaysia to learn scuba diving and successfully obtained her diver’s certification after weeks of professional training. In the end, she changed her major to Architecture and restarted her university application process. Compared to her classmates in high school who are racing against time, Shuyao chose to slow down and spend a year to accomplish what she felt was worthwhile.
This is Shuyao’s gap year experience, and the story of growth for a girl in her prime. We believe that compared to the seamless transition to university, there must have been something more important to her. It must have been hidden there from the time when she was getting to know herself and realizing that: “You are the only one to define your own life.”
Click on the video below to listen to Shuyao presentation about what she experienced and gained during her gap year.
Shuyao, our graduate from the class of 2022 returned to her alma mater to host a session for grades M4-DP2 on the theme of global citizenship. During this sharing session in the auditorium, Shuyao repeatedly shared her experiences in engaging in charity work in different countries and emphasized on the inspirational role that the DP CAS program played during her time at XLIS. As an integral part of the IBDP program, CAS aims to nurturing students’ leadership, social responsibility, and holistic development, with community service being one of its core components. Cultivating a sense of community is at the heart of the IB’s mission that aligns with XLIS’s vision and mission. By engaging in community service and voluntary activities, IB students not only enhance their sense of responsibility and care for the community but also gain a profound understanding of the positive impact of individual actions on the social environment. Such involvement is not merely to fulfill CAS course requirements but also reflects students’ genuine concern for the surrounding society and their proactive engagement.
The benefits that the DP CAS project bring to IB students are profound and enduring. Students become open minded by broadening their horizons, understanding the needs and challenges faced in multi-cultural backgrounds. The experience of collaborating with different communities also helps to learn from others’ experiences to clarify future goals. Such experiences enable students to gain comprehensive insights into global issues apart from helping them develop empathy and resilience. Through collaboration with like-minded partners, students continuously hone their teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills, laying a solid foundation for students’ future academic and career development.
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Author: Fancy Fan (Admin Officer)
