The YCIS Puxi school community was delighted to recently welcome back alumni who visited the school before the holidays. Back in Shanghai for a break from their university studies, the alumni coordinated with Mr John Liu, Regional Coordinator for University and Career Guidance, and Ms Luciene Hang, Alumni Relations Officer for the visit.

The alumni who attended were Mr Masaki Sai from the YCIS Puxi Class of 2012, Mr Hugh Wilcox from the Class of 2018, and Ms Hannah Cao, Mr Forest Chen, Ms Sharon Hsia, Ms Cindy Lin, Mr Alan Lee, and Mr Daniel Wu, all from the Class of 2017.

In the morning, the alumni took part in a Question and Answer series with Year 12-13 students, giving sage advice to the students about everything from study and application tips, to life in college and how to have fun while still focusing on the International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations.

Afterwards, the alumni had the opportunity to meet and catch up with their past teachers at a breakfast on campus, and they shared in a Christmas celebration with teachers. Later, Mr Liu gave the group a tour of the Gubei Campus and highlighted the changes to the campus since the alumni graduated.

During the visit, when talking about their time they spent studying at YCIS Puxi, all of the alumni mentioned their favourite memories of their time at the school: from competing on the sports teams to the supportive community and lifelong friendships made.

Mr Masaki Sai, currently studying The Doctor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne, Australia, shared that his time at YCIS Puxi gave him a fantastic head start over his fellow university classmates, citing the rigorous IB programme and the school’s cultural diversity as a key to how he settled so well into university life.

Ms Hannah Cao, studying at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, also mentioned the advantages she had in her college studies as a result of her time at YCIS, saying that studying for the IB gave her a strong work ethic. She highlighted the two-week IB Thailand trip and a charity trip to plant trees in Inner Mongolia as stand-out memories of her time at YCIS.

Mr Forest Chen, studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at UC Davis, liked that studying at a small school like YCIS Puxi Secondary allowed him to both connect with his teachers and contact each field of study, especially in Science. He enjoyed playing sports with different schools during his time at YCIS and loved the times when he got to travel with his school friends to various tournaments.

Ms Sharon Hsia also mentioned the benefits the IBDP programme gave her, making studying in college easier for her than for some of her peers. She also looked back fondly on her SISAC and ACAMIS sporting memories, which allowed her to compete with other international students from all around China. 

Ms Cindy Lin, now studying Biochemistry at the University of Manchester, said that her teachers at YCIS thought her to think for herself and to think critically, and she loved that there was always so much going on at the school, from academics to sports and art.

Mr Alan Lee, now studying in the Carnegie Mellon University School of Computer Science, cited his teachers encouraging him to start his own computer building club at YCIS as helping prepare him for his university degree, and explained how helping to plan, manage, and decorate the IB room at school was one of the highlights of his time at YCIS.

Mr Daniel Wu, now studying in the Arts programme at the University of British Columbia, said that the well-rounded IB programme and the diverse student population at the school prepared him well for university. He enjoyed the social aspects of his time at the YCIS and how supportive everyone was.

The most recent graduate, Mr Hugh Wilcox, is now studying Theatre at the University of Victoria, British Colombia. He noted that the Performing Arts department at YCIS helped him choose his major, and shared that acting in plays such as The Actors Nightmares was a highlight of his time at the school.

This mini-reunion served as a fantastic illustration of the enormously positive impact a YCIS Puxi education has on shaping the exciting career and life paths of our alumni. We wish these alumni the very best as they prepare for their futures, and we look forward welcoming them back on campus the next time they are back in Shanghai.