Thanks to that, many of the cohort secured offers from leading universities in Hong Kong and around the world and are now preparing to take the next big step.
Among those is Hannah Cheng, who received an early admission offer from Stanford University in the United States and is understandably inspired and excited by the new challenges and opportunities that will present.
A complete change of scene will be one of the first things to get used to because Hannah has been at YCIS Hong Kong for the past 17 years.
She began in an ECE (early childhood education) class when just six months old and moved on from there through the primary school and then the secondary section before finishing off with the IBDP.
As one would expect, it has been a character-forming and instructive journey, defined by high academic standards, but also the belief that every individual should be ready to give back to the school and the broader community and, wherever possible, look for ways to create a better world.
When reflecting, Hannah recalls that, like students everywhere, she had to deal with various setbacks and obstacles along the way.
For instance, since Year 1 in primary school, there were times when she had learning difficulties with different subjects and needed extra assistance to come to terms with the concepts and course material.
In particular, she noticed that her reading was slower than her classmates, she frequently stumbled over words, and found it hard to distinguish between mirror letters like “b” and “d”. Even in Year 6, she had trouble with the English alphabet, felt like a failure, and didn’t know what was wrong. Her mother, though, was a great source of comfort.
“With tears in her eyes, she told me to have faith in myself,” Hannah says. “She explained that every child develops at their own pace, just like flowers which bloom at different times. She reassured me that her ‘little flower’ would certainly bloom one day.”
Only later did Hannah discover that she had dyslexia. Even so, she went on to achieve top academic honours, excel in international competitions, and conduct research projects. She was also selected for gifted student programmes at Johns Hopkins University, the Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education, and the University of Hong Kong.
“I am so grateful to the YCIS teachers who helped me overcome initial challenges and have always given me encouragement and support,” she says. “Also, I sincerely thank my family and friends for their love and support. They have been with me throughout the journey.”
During her time at YCIS Hong Kong, Hannah took every chance to get involved in a range of activities as she was encouraged by teachers. Notably, she participated in the World Economics Cup, winning both group and individual awards, and this year was also recognised at the SCMP’s Student of the Year Awards in the community contributor category.
In addition, she received one of the Sir Edward Youde Memorial Prizes for 2023-2024. These awards are presented to senior students who have demonstrated a consistently high standard in their academic studies, as well as exceptional leadership abilities.
Now heading to Stanford, where only about 3 per cent of the thousands of applicants are admitted each year, Hannah plans to study economics, a subject which embraces theory, data, real-world issues, and offers possible solutions to the problems facing those most in need.
“I found myself particularly drawn to the fascinating intersection between economics and the rational aspects of human behaviour,” she says. “While studying economics at Stanford, I aim to explore human decision making under the constraints of different economic contexts that influence public and international policies, and which therefore shape societies and have a major impact on world events.”
As a matter of principle, YCIS Hong Kong emphasises the holistic development of all pupils, allowing each child to pursue diverse interests and discover their unique potential.
This approach saw Hannah, together with older brother Enoch and younger brother Amos, found an on-campus environmental club, but also gave each of them the scope to find their own niche.
All three have achieved outstanding grades, yet been able to show contrasting strengths and personality traits.
After getting a perfect score in the IBDP exams in 2022, Enoch opted for the University of Toronto, where he is now studying for a double degree in quantitative finance and management. As a natural leader, he has continued to volunteer for organisations that mentor teenagers and assist new immigrants and refugees.
On the other hand, Amos is now preparing to start the first year of the IBDP and has tentative plans to read computer science, data science, or chemical engineering at university. He has a reputation for being a very organized, caring and helpful servant leader.
Hannah, who is known for being creative, sociable and empathetic, saw from her older brother’s example what is possible to achieve through perseverance, hard work, and having the ambition to accomplish great things.
“Witnessing Enoch’s consistent efforts to uplift and support those in need further fuelled my own aspirations to pursue higher education and follow a path of service and compassion, in the hope of making the world a better place,” she says.
Thanks to her family background and the Christian values instilled at YCIS Hong Kong, Hannah understands the importance of serving others, actively giving back to the community, and having the mindset of a global citizen. As part of her volunteer initiatives, she has accompanied members of her family on visits to refugees and ethnic minorities and seen the contrast between the lives of the underprivileged and her own.
“I have been incredibly fortunate to have a support system consisting of caring school teachers, attentive mentors from NGOs, and my family,” she says. “The guidance and resources they provided were instrumental in helping me overcome challenges throughout my education. Also, their presence, has had a profound impact on my life by demonstrating the transformative effect that one person can have on another.”
Inspired by that outlook, Hannah has taken practical steps to make a difference. She has led church mentoring sessions for primary students, organised donation drives for ethnic minorities, refugee, underprivileged individuals both locally and overseas, and assisted optometrists doing eye tests for underprivileged children, and visited youngsters with cleft lips.
Her motivation is to ensure others also have a fair opportunity to succeed in life regardless of their initial circumstances.
As Hannah grew older and overcame the challenging learning experiences of her childhood, she became more daring and willing to take risks, even if it meant making mistakes and failing.
She attributed this to the fact that she never felt oppressed or excluded while growing up.
Instead, Hannah’s parents and teachers consistently encouraged her to explore new interests and pursue diverse experiences, such as learning a new subject, participating in various extracurricular activities, or performing on a bigger stage.
These experiences taught Hannah the importance of trying new things, being curious, and accepting failure as a natural part of the learning process. She learned that it is more important to take risks and embrace new experiences than to worry about the possibility of failure.
“I never imagined I would be accepted by Stanford, but the fear of rejection didn’t stop me from trying,” she says. “In today’s highly competitive world, you truly never know what might happen, so be a risk-taker, put in the effort, and have no regrets.”