For the second year in a row, YK Pao School opened its doors to exchange students from overseas. In March, Topher Hopper, Hull Collins, and Drew Bailey, Year 11 students from St George’s School, our sister school in Rhode Island, US, spent two weeks at Pao School's Secondary Division on an exchange. It was the students’ first time in China and they looked forward to the opportunity to immerse themselves in Chinese language and culture, deepen their understanding of China's rich history and culture, and experience life at a Chinese boarding school. The students lived on campus with Pao School students, attended Year 11 classes, and participated in a wide-range of afternoon activities, including Chinese calligraphy, martial arts, and ultimate frisbee. They also ventured off campus to Thames Town, Zhujiajiao, downtown Shanghai, and Pudong. The students thoroughly enjoyed sampling a wide range of Chinese cuisine, from Shanghainese and Sichuanese to hot pot and Taiwanese bubble tea. They even held their own when eating dishes filled with spicy, mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns! A highlight of their trip was the opportunity to participate in a community service activity: teaching English to local university students with Pao School students Gus Pasin and Clementine Li. At the end of their visit, the students gave a presentation to a group of students and teachers about their exchange experience, highlighting the friendships they developed with their roommates and their deepened interest in Chinese language and culture. All three students expressed a strong desire to return to China after their university studies and live and work in one of the most fascinating and dynamic countries in the world.
Karla Sy, Director of International Student Affairs
