Community Voices | Where Knowledgeable Inquirers are Made

It didn’t take long before Jaeha found his place at Shanghai Community International School (SCIS). Sure, he arrived with limited English. However, he kept trying because everyone around him told him he could. With ample support, he was soon fluent. “All my teachers have contributed to my growth as a student and a person, in some way,” he explains. 

Being able to converse gave Jaeha the confidence he needed to immerse himself in the whole SCIS experience. He is currently participating in jazz band, the strings ensemble and badminton. He is also a proud member of both the Math Club and the Chess Club. Both have helped him rack up prestigious accolades that will look great on his college applications. In the classroom, he does just as well. 

“My favourite classes are math and science, but I think the classes that helped me become an overall better student were English and Humanities. They were challenging, but I wouldn’t be able to write or conversate without them,” he says. 

While Jaeha isn’t certain what he would like to achieve as a college student or professional just yet, there’s one thing he knows for sure: SCIS will help him get to where he needs to go. SCIS is currently helping him plan his next academic steps. For learners like him, there are many options to choose from. 

Here is what Jaeha has to say about himself and his experience with SCIS.  

Tell us about yourself. Where are you from and what brought you to Shanghai? 

My name is Jaeha, I’m from South Korea, currently in grade ten. I moved to Shanghai when I was in the seventh grade.  

Do you remember what your first week was like? What challenges did you face as an international student? 

When I first came to the school, I spoke little English, so the first week of school was very tough because I understood very little in my classes. I had no friends and people were nice but because of the language barrier, I couldn’t really have a conversation with them. I didn’t really know them, and I was afraid because I didn’t understand what was going on. 

How has SCIS helped you through your educational career?  

The more I attended this school, the more confident I got because my English got better. I could speak more fluently and could communicate with others. One thing that I really like about this school is that I don’t need to be afraid of asking questions. I guess it’s a cultural difference between international schools compared to Korea. In Korea, it’s hard to ask questions during classes where in this school it is pretty easy. Just raise your hand, ask questions, they give you an answer and they are very friendly.  

Who were some of the teachers who provided support and guidance to you during your studies?  

I don’t know if I have any specific teacher who significantly helped me because all of them helped me equally. Some might have been more helpful because they were my teachers for a longer period of time, but they were all supportive and they all contributed to my growth as a student and a person. 

What sparked your interest in extracurricular activities?  

I think after one year of being at the school, I started to do jazz band and other activities. For the first year, I didn’t know what was going on. I went home right after school was over and watched YouTube. After a year, I got more confident in what I was doing and made more friends, so I wanted to spend more time with them through after-school activities. I like music so that’s why I joined Jazz band and string ensembles. 

Can you tell us more about your involvement in the math club, chess club, and yearbook club?   

Math Club and Chess Club are both more knowledge based After School Activities (ASAs). I joined them because I am not only interested in them, but I can challenge myself in math contests. In Math Club, I participated in the Canada Waterloo Contest and AMC. Due to Covid, I couldn’t participate in many contests, but I still participated in some of them and did pretty well. 

Congratulations on racking up so many accolades as an honors student! Can you tell us more about your classes that contributed to your success? 

Some of my favorite classes and the classes that contributed to my success are actually very different. My favourite classes are math and science, but I think the classes that helped me be a better student were English and Humanities. Those classes were challenging but they really made me better in writing and language.  

Do you have any plans for the future?  

I do not really have any plans for the future yet and I’m still trying to find what I want to do after school. The school is providing help with that and deciding what college I want to go to after this school. 

What are the top three skills you feel you have developed at SCIS? 

First of all, I learned English, so that’s one thing. Second, I think I became much more social than I was before. Third, I learned how to speak to other people and solve problems when I have them. If I have a problem with a task I can go to a teacher, talk about it, try to sort out what the problem is and fix it if possible. I wasn’t able to do that before I attended this school. But that was one thing that I learned which is important because if you’re not being treated right, you need to fix that. 

What advice would you give to future students who wish to follow in your footsteps?  

Just think before you do something. Often, I think people are too optimistic about their failures. There are people who say failure is just another step to success, which can be true, but if you think about whether or not that a failure was necessary, maybe not all the time. There is something you can learn but you can learn the same thing without you doing it. You can learn from other people’s experiences. For instance, we don’t actually jump off a building to know that it’s going to hurt you if you do it. You know from other people’s experiences. If you think before you do something you can do something in a more productive way and without wasting your time and effort. Just think before you do something, that’s my advice. 

Thank you Jaeha for sharing about your achievements and time as a student at SCIS. We look forward to seeing what you accomplish next!  

SCIS. Knowledgeable Inquirers.  

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