【校友访谈】2022届潘雨非：康德双语的鼓励式教育让我的未来闪闪发光

I transferred from a public school to SCBS in G10. The difference between SCBS and my middle school was that it allowed me to adapt to the university life in advance. I benefited from the school's emphasis on academic achievement, the teachers' encouraging education, and the relatively tolerant and free learning environment. I believe that studying in a foreign university not only requires academic ability, but also cultural differences and interpersonal relationships are very important. The relaxed and favourable atmosphere of SCBS has enabled me to develop a good personality and social skills, which has enabled me to adapt to the study and life in an overseas university very quickly.

I worked as a volunteer in an autism institution in high school and organised volunteer activities in the summer holidays, as well as study trips. This was made possible by the fact that I formed a psychological club, the Rainbow Psychology Club, when I was in SCBS, with a membership of about 20 to 30 students in middle school and high school.

I established Psychology Club because firstly, I was personally interested in psychology, and secondly, I wanted to study psychology with like-minded people. SCBS gives students a lot of freedom to form their own clubs, and the whole club is organised, operated and managed by the students themselves, and the school gives us a lot of support, which is actually a good preparation for us to adapt to the life of a foreign university in advance, and also provides a good platform for us to adapt to the life of a foreign university.

I hear from younger students that this club is still very active in SCBS. After I graduated, I passed on the position of president of the Psychology Club to Summer Zhao, and we are still very good friends, and have contact and communication from time to time. Summer also mentioned that the Psychology Club helped students a lot in their academic life when she presented a gift to the school as a representative of the students at this year's high school graduation ceremony, which is also a thing that makes me feel very accomplished myself.

I have learnt from my experience at SCBS that choosing a major is not an easy task, especially when it comes to finding a balance between parental expectations and personal interests. When choosing a major, the school respects the students' individual wishes, and the one-on-one college counselling service allows the college counselling teacher to provide personalised guidance to each of us, as well as to understand the curriculum of the majors we are interested in.

Take my choice of major as an example, I was faced with the conflict between my parents' expectations and my personal interests. I was interested in film making and wanted to major in film, but my parents, being rational and cautious about future employment, wanted me to major in economics. Ms. Yao, SCBS' college counselling teacher, resolved this conflict in a highly acceptable and innovative way. Instead of intervening directly, she guided me to learn about the major's curriculum and career paths, advised me to consider my grades and application goals, and listed the reasons for my decision, convincing my parents with facts. After a lot of communication between my parents, Ms. Yao and me, I finally chose to major in media. So far, my parents are very satisfied with this major. This way, both my parents and I can feel the school's educational philosophy of respecting students' individual differences and encouraging students to think independently.

I have a good friend and schoolmate named Michael Qi, who was in G10 when I was in G12, and he has been in contact with me from time to time. After hearing about my professional learning experience abroad during the alumni sharing sessions and private conversations, he became interested in the media profession and found what he wanted to do with his life. When he was applying for university this year, he chose to apply for KCL's media programme after communicating with Ms. Yao,  and he will be coming to the UK in September. He is my schoolmate of SCBS and will be my schoolmate in KCL. In my opinion, this is a kind of inheritance of SCBS spirit.

The relationship between teachers and students at SCBS is very cordial, with teachers and students being both mentors and friends. Because of the small class sizes, the teachers give us a lot of respect. I have met many such teachers since I transferred from public school to SCBS. One of my fondest memories is of an English teacher in G11-G12 who inspired me in a way that I still remember today. He was like an elder, patient and kind, and he taught me a lot. He once said: "every cloud has a silver lining", meaning that there is always light in the darkness, and that the clouds will always open up to see the moon. When I first came to the UK and was still in the process of adapting to academia and life in the UK, I often thought of this saying, and it always encouraged me to persevere when I encountered difficulties. It also taught me that there are many choices in life, and the key lies in the courage to try and the perseverance to persist.

When I was in SCBS, the school paid a lot of attention to cultivating our autonomy, interpersonal skills and self-challenge abilities. For example, the annual winter concert was planned and executed by our students, in which I participated in the musical theatre performance. In my university life, I fully demonstrated my autonomy, interpersonal and self-challenging skills by actively participating in the activities of the Federation of Schools and taking advantage of the holidays to do an internship at the TV station to broaden my horizons.

Compared with high school life, university lifeis more free, but also requires a stronger sense of self-discipline. While studying at SCBS, I learnt to think independently and to take responsibility. All these experiences have made me more mature and confident in my university life. This diversified university life has made me more determined and confident to walk on my own chosen path. These experiences make me thankful for SCBS' cultivation of our comprehensive quality.

I believe that the media industry is a bridge between society and individuals, with a high sense of social responsibility and mission. In my opinion, media is not only a profession, but also a belief. During my university years, I have worked hard to learn professional knowledge and pave the way for my future. At present, I have decided to apply for film as my postgraduate study, which is also dependent on my undergraduate media major, and will make me more comfortable in my future study.

Alumni Gathering is one of the significant events held by SCBS Alumni Association. As the Alumni Membership Officer of the Alumni Association, I am looking forward to reuniting with all of you at the upcoming second SCBS Alumni Gathering in the coming August, which will be held in August this year. I also sincerely hope that more alumni will regularly return to SCBS to share their academic and life experiences. I eagerly anticipate joining you in contributing to the thriving development of SCBS and jointly envisioning a sparkling future together.

The diversity of choices in life, setbacks and failures should not become a shackle that binds us to move forward. Everyone has his own stage, the key lies in whether we have the courage to go after it or not. I think there are many choices in life, and we should not give up because of one failure or setback. I would like to say to younger students: don't doubt yourself because of a momentary setback, and don't give up your dreams because of the doubts of others. Bravely pursue your interests, do what you like, and feel every moment of life with your heart. At the same time, you should also be good at listening to your inner voice, understand your own needs, and find your own stage.

It is through these bits and pieces that SCBS has helped me find my way along the path of growth. As an alumna, I would like to inspire you with my own story, so that you too can walk bravely on the road of life together with me. I hope that you will treasure your time at SCBS and make full use of the resources here to build a solid foundation for your future. At the same time, I look forward to reuniting with you in future alumni gathering, sharing each other's learning experiences and contributing to the development of SCBS. Let's work together and prove with our actions: the diversity of choices in life, the key to success lies in the courage to pursue.