A lot can happen in five years. It took fiveyears for Juno, the world's fastest spacecraft to travel 2.8 billion km toJupiter. It took Albert Einstein five years to formulate the special theory ofrelativity.
In five years, we have watched our pupils, parents and teachers grow into a strong and caring community. This autumn, we celebrate Hiba Academy Shanghai’s fifth anniversary with Hiba Stories, a series that looks back on our school’s many achievements over the past half-decade.
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Yinuo's transformation at Hiba
Today, we share the story of grade 9 pupil Yinuo. During his time at Hiba, Yinuo has grown in as a scholar and a leader.
His first attempt at earning a Hiba Academic Scholarship was not successful. Rather than being discouraged, he learned what he needed to do to become a viable candidate. He tried again, and his second attempt was successful. This same determination also helped him earn the 2021-22 Hiba Master Award.
From the moment he joined Hiba, Yinuo immediately took to the house system. He was struck by how it enables pupils across several grades to interact in various school activities and events. He saw the possibilities for mentorship from other pupils and the opportunities to mentor those younger than him. He also saw it as an opportunity to make an impact on the school community and learn the value of leadership.
▲Yinuo took the opportunity to make an impact on the school community
Yinuo’s teachers saw this passion and drive, too. They noticed his talent for football and baseball, so selecting him as house sports captain was a natural fit. In this capacity, Yinuo organised a sports day for Primary School pupils. Along the way, he developed communication and time management skills. The more he accomplished, the more confident and resilient he became. “It is addictive,” he says, “and it drives me to stretch myself in whatever I do.” The dedication and enthusiasm of the younger pupils gave him a sense of accomplishment.
▲The house signages around campus
Yinuo will have the opportunity to stretch himself even further when he was selected to serve as the Deputy House Captain for Li House for the current academic year. “The position is full of challenges,” he explains. “I am very motivated to make sure that Li House is inclusive for pupils in all grades. This means planning activities that everyone will enjoy. But at the same time, I need to balance this work with my studies and my work with the pupil organisation DAPESH.”
▲Developers of Academic Performance and Enjoyment in Studying at Hiba (DAPESH), was founded by pupils to create a platform for discussion with outstanding pupils through the creation of an academic discussion organisation. Yinuo, as a member in charge of promotion, is always thinking about how to better communicate the value of DAPESH
But Yinuo’s commitment to the Hiba community does not stop at house leadership. Three years ago, he conceived an idea for a club that could promote Hiba on social media. He finally implemented it last year and called it Hiba Impression. This pupil-run organisation promotes Hiba and the Hiba Values on social media. Yinuo and five fellow pupils produce videos to post on the video-sharing site Bilibili. They publish content regularly, and it provides a unique pupil’s-eye view of life at Hiba.
Yinuo has also applied his leadership talents to the TEDx Youth@HibaShanghai organising committee. He coordinated all pupil volunteers, helping to make Hiba’s first TEDx event an incredible success.
Nini, grade 10, fellow Pupil Leadership Programme member：
Yinuo has a lot of strengths. He is disciplinedin his studies. He remembers every deadline and takes the initiative to discussit with everyone on Teams. After three years of working with him in the PupilLeadership Programme, I have found that his creativity and time management arefar beyond the average at this age! At the same time, his life is not only centredon academics and leadership, he is also a very strong athlete.
Oscar, grade 10, fellow DAPESH founder：
Yinuo is very responsible and motivated. Most of the time, he is the first to complete tasks and coordinates work among other pupils. He is very enthusiastic about his work in DAPESH and provides ideas for our development and promotion. In addition, his academic performance is among the best in the school. In my eyes, he is an all-rounder.
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More than just teachers
Yinuo owes much of his success to the guidance he receives from dedicated teachers like Ms Casallo. When Yinuo was selected to participate in the Hiba Able and Talented (HATS) programme, Ms Casallo was his mentor. During their regular one-on-one meetings, they talk about books they are reading, recent school projects, career planning or what it means to live the Hiba Values of Courage, Respect, Integrity, Kindness and Responsibility.
▲As Head of Higher Education and Careers at Hiba, Ms Casallo guides Yinuo not only in academics and campus life but also in career planning
Talks like this help to build strong relationships between our teachers and pupils. As a result, our teachers are better equipped to help our pupils thrive, and our pupils know they always have someone they can go to when they need help.
I have seen Yinuo grow through the many leadershiproles he has held at Hiba. Wearing so many hats has enabled him to become moreself-reflective, self-aware and mature. He understands that a leader is notsomeone who simply leads but finds value and potential in their team members sothey can eventually become leaders themselves. He is always looking for ways tohave a meaningful impact on the Hiba community.
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Looking to the future
When asked what he has gotten from his Hiba education so far, Yinuo talks about baseball and evokes the image of a tree. “When I was an assistant coach at a baseball camp,” he explains, “I made ‘Inclusive, Independent and Inspired’ a requirement for young participants. When I think about it, these are Hiba Identities that we practice every day! Hiba is like a tree in my mind, and we all represent a leaf of different shapes and sizes. Each of us is nourished by this tree. When the wind blows, there are many different shapes and shadows that display the vitality of this tree.
▲Yinuo started learning baseball when he was in grade 1and developed self-discipline and resilience from it
By the time Hiba Academy Shanghai celebrates its 10th anniversary, he will be in university pursuing his dreams, and the Hiba Identity of being Inspired, Intellectual, Independent, Individual and Inclusive will remain deeply engraved in his heart. And we are confident that he will be one of countless Hiba alumni who will make a profound impact on the world. Yinuo’s father agrees: "No matter what the world becomes in the future, there is always a mission waiting for him to accomplish, as long as he knows exactly what he wants to do.”
Yinuo’s story is just one of many from our pupils, parents and teachers that we will be sharing to celebrate our fifth anniversary. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks!
