New graduates reap the rewards of a Pao School education

Recently, Pao School co-founder and executive vice chairman Philip Sohmen was interviewed by Phoenix Television as part of a series on established traditional schools and innovative schools in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Parents need to learn to let go and work side by side with the school, while letting their child explore his or her own interests. The child will then learn to make decisions independently and be more proactive in pursuing his or her dreams.

Pao School sought from its inception to integrate new ideas and pedagogies into China's basic education. We recently spoke with some Pao graduates who witnessed the school's impressive evolution firsthand.

In 2007, on a business trip, Honey’s father happened to learn about YK Pao School. He was fascinated by the concept of whole-person education and after discussing with Honey's mother, they decided to send Honey to the newly established school to begin her formal education.

Janney studied in the United States when her father was a visiting professor there. After a few years of difficult adjustment upon returning to China, her family enrolled Janney in YK Pao Middle School in 2012.

In 2016, Stella transferred to YK Pao School to begin a brand-new high school experience.

Why did the three families choose YK Pao School? Here we tell the stories of three different students who respectively entered Pao School at the elementary, middle and high school level. They all are part of the Class of 2019. Although they entered Pao School at different times, they share one thing in common: They have all experienced the richness of a Pao education. These are their stories:

01

The school made me grow into a person with unlimited potential.

—— Honey

Honey has been in YK Pao School since the very beginning. Over the past 12 years, she has grown considerably at YK Pao School, with her opportunities outside the classroom as rich as her academic experience.

Honey optioned in IB Visual Arts and considered studying art. She was also part of the first cohort of student with the chance to study geography at YK Pao School.

When choosing our IB courses, the most important thing is to pick courses that we are passionate about. When you're passionate about your studies, your performance will be much better than if you are not so interested in the subject matter.

Honey tells us that IB Geography is very different from other geography curricula.

IB Geography is more focused on testing students' comprehensive thinking skills, and it's important to be able to use the concepts learned across different units and even subjects. At the same time, IB Geography at Pao School requires students to apply the knowledge they learn. For instance, in Power, Places and Networks unit students integrate economic, political and even sociological content and concepts in the geography classroom.

Honey (first from right) is taking measurements

Honey was especially impressed by the IB Geography field trip. On that trip, students went out into the field for 4-5 days, staying at a professional learning center and conducting detailed research on the characteristics of a river. In the process, students were required to collect samples, conduct surveys, as well as do analysis and write a report.

This experience deepened my understanding of geography and ability to apply what I learn about in the classroom. In the future, I hope to study the environmental problems facing China.

Honey (first from right) is taking measurements

Honey is an empathetic person whose generosity of spirit can be seen in her geographical work. With passion, intelligence and skill, Honey has investigated many important real issues facing the world and has realized that these very issues are more important than ever to address in China at this particular stage of its development.

Her geography teacher Peter Davidson says of Honey: "I am extremely proud that Honey has decided to study geography at such a prestigious university in the UK and I know she will not only be successful in her studies, but when she graduates she will make a real difference in the world with what she has learned, helping to tackle major environmental challenges."

Honey is a member of the GIN (Global Issue Network) community. In 2017 and 2018, she participated in two joint seminars, GINAsia and One City One Voice, and worked together with this global community to understand global problems and how to tackle them. At the same time, Honey has also volunteered as a student tutor for our summer camp for the for the past three years, giving back to her alma mater and inspiring others who are interested in enrolling in the school.

Honey volunteered to teach summer camp students how to get prepared for an experiment

Honey's mother told us that she witnessed Honey grow over these past 12 years, when Honey constantly grasped new opportunities and hit new milestones.

Honey's calligraphy work and singing and dancing performances

02

l learned how to learn and love learning at Pao School.

—— Janney

Janney, from a family of doctors, lived in the United States as an elementary school student (Years 1-2) when her father worked there. It wasn't easy for Janney to adjust to life in China when she returned. She became withdrawn. Her parents, concerned about Janney's situation, sought to help her get back on track. Thus, they decided, after hearing about YK Pao School, that it was the right place for Janney to continue her education, and Janney joined us beginning in Year 5.

It didn't take long for Janney and her parents to realize that this decision was correct.Pao School's whole-person approach to education was ideal for Janney.

It made me feel so alive. I am so grateful to the school for giving me confidence in my own abilities.

With her newfound self-confidence, Janney found the courage to pursue her dreams and challenge herself. She discovered her own unique spirit of innovation, which has been a foundation for her growth as a person. Janney takes English A (native-level) course in IB diploma programme, which is quite unique as she is a native Chinese speaker. Indeed, most students choose IB core courses (EE) that play to their strengths, but Janney wants to take the opportunity to challenge herself with something new. She thus wrote a review of Chinese literary work A New Interpretation of Love in a Fallen City.

Her teacher Stella Fu commented: "Janney's decision to write this review came from her personal interests. She's done an excellent job, writing in an accurate and expressive manner. I can see her potential in the field of medicine."

Janney's family has not pushed her to become a doctor as they know the work can be taxing. Her own exploration convinced her of her passion in the medical profession. In the summer of Year 11, she attended summer school at the University of Chicago and worked with project members to explore the efficacy of two leukemia drugs. In her free time, she also volunteers for a medical app which is dedicated to help Parkinson patients.

Janney believes the key to high school and university experience is constant exploration. Pao School’s diverse culture and wide selection of IB courses have allowed Janey the “freedom of opportunities”. She recalls many highlights of her seven years at YK Pao High School. It was a fruitful experience for her, allowing ample time for rich academic and extracurricular pursuits. She not only devoted herself to her studies, she also took time to learn how to knit sweaters, play volleyball, learn yoga and more. She even became a student ambassador for Pao School, so she could give back to the school that helped her regain her self-confidence and become a proactive, independent and ultimately successful person.

Janney (third from right in the back row) and her teammates won the final championship in Girls Volleyball

03

Pao School encourages me to think independently and manage my time well.

—— Stella

"Mrs. McCombe, I don't agree with you. I think another person in this article holds this view."

When IB English teacher Melinda McCombe talked about Stella in the English class in the last few weeks, she said excitedly: "Stella likes to challenge authority. She won’t simply accept she’s wrong. She's more interested in knowing why (someone believes) she is wrong.

Stella loves science exploration. Since Year 10, she has been independently conducting scientific experiments and writing research reports, coordinating with teachers and doctors. Stella is hard at work researching a wide variety of scientific and environmental issues, such as the cyanobacteria problem in Taihu Lake. She also has studied waterproof film's computer circuit board application, observed the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim's production line and researched how different liquid waveforms affect different surfaces. In 2018, Stella won second prize in the Shanghai Science and Technology Innovation Competition.

Stella is making waterproof film for a circuit board

Stella tells us,

Scientific research is a manifestation of the desire to explore. I am always full of curiosity and want to understand new concepts. I carry out scientific research to satisfy my curiosity, so I participate in a lot of extracurricular research work.

Chemistry teacher Stephen Knox has excellent insights into Stella's passion for scientific research and exploratory spirit. He told us that in almost every class Stella stays after the class ends and asks him questions. He still remembers that his students once were tackling a seemingly "impossible question." Only Stella insisted on trying to figure it out, and two weeks later she gave the answer.

Stella tells us that when she first transferred to Pao School, she encountered some difficulties. But it didn't take long for her to get adjusted to her new surroundings. Pao School's ideal balance of academics and co-curricular activities, as well as its boarding system (which provides important support for students) made it easy for Stella to adapt. Before long, she was involved in all kinds of activities, such as debates, innovation clubs, drama and more. The great part about Pao School's co-curricular activities, she says, is that they may help students find a future path of study.

I think that in my four years at Pao School I have learned to be a self-sufficient, develop my own ideas, manage my own time and be capable of adapting quickly to sudden changes.

The success of these three students at Pao School is a testament to the efficacy of the school's whole-person person approach to education.

As Honey herself said: "Over the past 12 years, I have grown considerably at YK Pao School, with opportunities outside the classroom as rich as my academic experience.I might not know yet what exactly I will do in my future career, but YK Pao School has made me a person with unlimited potential. I always know what I want and how to move toward that."

We have some great news to share about these three graduates: Honey has received a conditional offer from University College London, where she plans to study geography. Janney will study pre-med at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee. Stella will study environmental science at the University of California, Berkeley.