Xi’an Liangjiatan International School
Interview with an Outstanding Graduate of the Class of 2025 (IBDP – High School)
Like a Submarine: Steady and Joyful, Sailing into the Future
Alex Song (DP2A)
“Still waters run deep” — these were the first words that popped into my mind after finishing my interview with Alex.
He appears calm and quiet on the surface but possesses profound wisdom within. There’s no better way to describe Alex than with this saying.
If Agnes is a lively, energetic girl, then Alex is her exact opposite — a boy who always seems calm, unhurried, and gentle, easily reminding one of “Flash,” the sloth in Zootopia.
At the recent graduation ceremony for the Class of 2025 IB Diploma Programme (High School), Alex not only won the English Language and Literature Award and the Music Award but also delivered a speech as the representative of outstanding graduates. True to his usual calm manner, he stepped onto the stage and told his juniors:
“Don’t exaggerate the difficulty of challenges in life. When facing problems, stay calm and objective. Be resilient, but there’s no need to force yourself to suffer needlessly. Truly understand yourself and your abilities, and don’t change who you are too easily.”
Though Alex’s voice is soft, the side of him hidden under his calm exterior gradually emerges through his words.
He is his own man, not a mere reactor to his surroundings.
Alex was born in Xi’an. At the age of five, he moved with his family to the United States for two years due to his father’s work transfer. When the family returned to China in 2015, he enrolled at the International Department of Xi’an Hi-Tech International School (the predecessor of XLIS), and from the old campus to the new one, he progressed from PYP3 all the way to DP2 — ten full years at XLIS.
His time in the U.S. gave him a solid foundation of the English language, cleared communication barriers and helped him develop strong reading and writing skills. Over the years at XLIS, he kept exploring and reflecting on himself, gradually discovering his strengths. Unlike many classmates who struggled with subject selection before starting DP, Alex was clear about his goals from the beginning — he chose his courses and future major based on playing to his strengths: pursuing game design.
“My goal for choosing subjects was to highlight my strengths. My English is strong, so I chose English HL; I’ve studied music since childhood, so I took Music HL too. Besides English, I have an interest in Spanish, so that was my obvious choice for my second language. I’m weaker in science, so I picked Environmental Systems and Societies SL, which is more humanities-focused among all the science subjects…” Alex explained his rationale to me with clear logic.
All DP students agree that the program is rigorous and demanding. During university application season, balancing coursework and applications can be overwhelming. But for Alex, knowing himself well means he knows how to maximize strengths, make decisive choices, and manage time efficiently. Therefore, he rarely feels suffocated by stress and even has 1–2 hours of leisure time each day, enjoying music and games. He emphasized one key point:
“Before starting DP, I set myself a goal — always prioritize sleep and life quality. I never sacrifice sleep for homework.”
He has always moved steadily at his own pace, thriving throughout high school.
But how does a 17-year-old develop such a calm and strong mindset — one that many adults envy?
To answer this, we must look at his family background.
Alex’s mother is a piano teacher. Throughout his upbringing, music has been part of his life: he started piano at the age of four, guitar at the age of six, and he also plays the oboe. At school, he formed a band with classmates, performing as guitarist at various school events.
His mother loves reading, and reading is also central to Alex’s leisure time. He loves English novels — he knows every detail of A Song of Ice and Fire, The Lord of the Rings, and the English version of Tale of the Three Kingdoms. He is fascinated by vivid characters and tightly woven plots, thoroughly enjoying immersing himself in these imaginary worlds.
“When I was little, I listened to the Chinese audiobook of Tale of the Three Kingdoms. When I found out that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei all died in the end, it shocked me deeply. The ending wasn’t perfect, but it was real — that’s what I like. The flaws and imperfections in characters attract me the most. It was the same when I read The Legend of the Condor Heroes in Chinese in MYP5 — its ‘heroic spirit’ really moved me.” As he spoke about his interests, Alex’ eyes lit up.
Unlike his mother’s artistic pursuits, Alex’s father is a doctor, a profession that demands working under high pressure. But his father rarely brings stress home or passes on negative energy to the family. Regarding academics, his parents never pressured him, instead they encouraged maximum independence, nurtured his decision-making skills from an early age. During university applications, they stepped back completely, letting Alex choose universities and majors based on his own interests. Their only advice was: go somewhere safe and remember to visit home often.
“Our family is emotionally stable. I rarely feel down. If there’s a problem, I solve it. I don’t let emotions take over.”
His parents’ love and guidance have supported him gently yet firmly, helping him overcome obstacles and giving him the courage to embrace freedom.
For his MYP5 Personal Project, Alex focused on “game design”, combining mythological elements into his concept and spending four to five months creating a card game to connect cultures through an interactive boardgame. Though not groundbreaking, it was his first attempt at game design. During annual WWW (Week Without Walls) and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) projects, he joined teachers and classmates on service trips to rural counties in Shaanxi, helping villagers harvest potatoes, repair beehives, and more. These seemingly tough experiences later became precious memories of his school days and strengthened his connection with the real world, providing rich “soil and nutrients” for his personal growth.
Alex’s excellence is clear to all his teachers and classmates, but whenever I praised him, he would quickly downplay it: “That’s what others say. I think I’m just okay — I don’t want to exaggerate.”
He doesn’t boast about himself, he is humble and meticulous.
When asked about his future expectations, he started with his immediate goal: “I want to experience and adapt to a new environment without fear. I’ve stayed at XLIS for ten years. It’s time to step out of my comfort zone, and I’m really looking forward to it.”
He doesn’t believe that studying a certain major means he must work in that field forever. To him, nothing is absolute; each choice reflects the present, not the future. As for what kind of person and life he wants: enjoy the moment and have no regret.
“If I have a goal, I will always try my best to reach it. I care about results because I’m goal-oriented, but I also know that effort doesn’t always guarantee success. So, as long as I’ve tried, I can accept any outcome.” He added that this must be built on daily happiness and contentment because in his view, being truly satisfied with oneself matters more than meeting others’ standards of success.
“Not everyone can be a world leader or make a huge impact, but everyone can choose to live happily. I don’t care much about how others see me. For me, being happy every day, sleeping well, eating well, and being able to enjoy life is more than enough.”
In this bustling world, Alex has carved out a warm and inviting sanctuary.
Alex’s world is filled with goals, perseverance, self-awareness, trust, resilience, inner harmony — surrounded by the love of teachers, classmates, and family. Free from inner turmoil or unease, these qualities build a robust haven of assurance in Alex’s heart, empowering him to move forward steadily while sometimes pausing to savor the winds of liberty.
By the end of our conversation, as the profound depth beneath his serene exterior became evident, I recognized the potent inner force that upholds Alex’s “slowness”, Alex is steady. Over the past 17 years, being steady and stoic have consistently fostered his enduring contentment, molding him into the tranquil and unhurried young man he is now.
Thus, being steady serves as both the origin and the endpoint for understanding him—both the source and the outcome.
After our interview, The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine came to mind. Alex is like a submarine: quietly gliding beneath the surface, steadily forging ahead with vast reserves of energy.
May he journey far and wide.
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Author:
Fancy Fan (Admin Officer)
