Rochester Yu, Class of 2015, Gubei Campus

I’m from Singapore, and I have studied at YCIS for the past 14 years. I have enjoyed my experience at YCIS tremendously. After I leave Shanghai, I will do National Service back in Singapore, and then apply to universities. Right now, I’m considering studying Media or Human Services (Public Welfare) at university.

One special thing about YCIS is that over time, you see how the school develops with you, and it feels like you are growing with the school. My greatest achievement at YCIS, and something that I believe all of my classmates experienced, was the fact that you begin to understand yourself here. You get to know what you’re good at, where you can improve, and what your interests are. This all helps you gain more confidence in yourself.

I’ve been involved in a lot at YCIS. In Primary school, I was very involved in orchestra for a few years, playing the violin. When I got to Secondary, I took more interest in leadership positions, such as the Student Council, and as a Prefect. I was the Head Prefect during my final year at YCIS. In the process of becoming a Head Prefect, you focus on leading an outstanding group of students, so it’s important to understand the strengths and weaknesses of your peers. Communication is also an important part of being a Prefect, and all Prefects work very closely with Mr Dayes, our Vice Principal. I found the whole experience to be very fulfilling.

My favourite memory from YCIS is the Year 12 Thailand Trip. I’ve been on a few YCIS overseas trips over the years, but when our entire IB class went on the trip to Thailand it was amazing. We truly felt like a community as we went through different activities on the trip, and we became closer over the course of those two weeks.

Another thing that makes YCIS special is that you really feel like you are part of a family. The environment is very comfortable, in the sense that your needs and your well-being are being taken care of and looked after by people at the school. I will miss my teachers the most because they have been there for us in both the best and most difficult of times. I’ll also miss all of my friends, especially since I’ve grown up with many of them. Every corner of YCIS has a memory attached, and I am going to miss them all.