Ask a student what “empowerment” means, and you might expect a polished answer. But when we asked three THIS students with very different journeys, they did not give us slogans.
The three students – Eason, Lucy, and Freya – they gave us moments: a first grader too nervous to speak up, a girl who thought she hated biology, and a debater who cried during her first competition.
These are the real beginnings of empowerment at Tsinghua International School (THIS). And they all lead to the same place: students who trust themselves enough to grow.
Eason: From Silence to Silver
Eason, currently an eighth grader at THIS, joined the school in Grade 1 (Primary School). Staying quiet and observing from the sidelines are some of his earliest memories at THIS.
"I was nervous. I tended to stay quiet rather than actively participate," he said.
That changed slowly through friendships, group projects, and especially sports. But the real turning point came in Grade 8, when he and his team entered the Conrad Challenge, an innovation and entrepreneurship competition.
Eason would not call himself a standout student on academic merit alone. Yet his team spent months brainstorming, revising, and even scrapping entire ideas. Their teacher, Mr. Paul Moon, gave feedback but never took over. "He encouraged us to take responsibility for our own progress," Eason said.
The result: a silver award.
Yet what mattered more to him was not the outcome, but rather: "The effort we put in and the teamwork we had behind it."
Today, Eason describes himself as "much more extroverted." He is still exploring his academic interests, which include communication, collaboration and problem-solving. However, Eason knows one thing for sure: he wants to take on new challenges, not for certificates, but "to learn and grow from the experience." Additionally, he also participated in interschool table tennis tournaments and finished among the top players.
Empowerment, for Eason, looked like patience. A school that let him open up at his own pace and teachers who trusted him to lead his own project.
Lucy: The Girl Who Hated Biology (Until Not)
Lucy also arrived at THIS in Grade 1. She describes herself as a "naughty little girl" who could not sit still for 40 minutes. In primary school, she loved writing fantasy stories and created her own Warrior Cats fanfiction clan called Leafclan.
Then middle school arrived: heavier coursework and less time for stories. She put creative writing on hold. But here is the twist: she did not lose her passion. It transformed.
Currently in 10th grade, Lucy found herself drawn to natural sciences once she entered high school. She developed a passion for seismology, then environmental science, and eventually biology. The same girl who once "hated biology" because she "thought it was all anatomy and dissection" now spends entire weekends studying genetics and cellular energetics. Over 300 hours in two years.
Her competition record traces that same evolution:
CTB 2025 (Butterfly Effect & Energy Conservation) — multiple national awards
iHOSA 2026 — Mental Health Promotion National Top 1, Biology Division National Top 2
British Biology Olympiad (BBO) — Global Bronze
When asked who helped, Lucy named Ms. Joy Zhou, for oral defense and presentation skills, Ms. Laura Zhang, for teaching boundaries in mental health campaigns, and Mr. C (Laz Chatzimanolis, biology teacher) as well as older students and even an alumnus who flew back from abroad to practice exams with her.
In addition, Lucy is also a China National Level 2 Athlete for Taekondo. She once obtained a bronze medal at the Beijing Youth Championship for this sport.
Empowerment, for Lucy, looked like permission to change. THIS did not lock her into one identity (writer, scientist, athlete) but encouraged her, and it still does, to follow her heart, even when it surprises her.
Freya From Tears to Teaching
Freya joined THIS in Grade 3, transferring from another international school. The transition was hard — a new language, a new environment and new faces. Her then homeroom teaching assistant Lisa helped her settle in.
But the real growth began in Grade 6, when she joined the Chinese debate club led by Mr. Qian Chao and Ms. Zhang Hongxuan.
Recounting her first competition, Freya admitted that she cried during cross-examination from the sheer nerves, pressure, and spotlight.
However, she kept going.
Now in Grade 10, Freya debates with fluency and confidence. Last summer, with her coaches’ guidance, she competed in the UCLA Mock Trial program and won the championship.
But most touching is watching her come full circle: this year, Freya started coaching the Middle School Debate Club (and Team) herself. She wants younger students to feel the joy of debate without the tears, or at least, with her there to wipe them.
She plans to study political science and become a lawyer.
Empowerment, for Freya, looked like turning pain into victory. A school that let her struggle, then let her lead.
What These Three Stories Share
All three students won awards. All three attributed their growth to specific teachers. But the deeper thread is this:
Empowerment at THIS is not about turning students into medal reapers. It is about turning them into young adults who know their own minds.
Eason learned that a quiet student can become extroverted and lead teams.
Lucy learned that changing her passion does not mean failure but meant building a championship record across many fields.
Freya learned that crying in your first debate does not mean giving up — it meant becoming a champion, and coaching the next generation through those same tears.
And all of them felt safe enough to try, fail, and try again.
THIS Behind the Stories
At THIS, we do not believe empowerment is a program you enroll in. It is a culture you breathe.
Teachers stay after school to practice presentations.
Alumnus flies back from abroad to help with Biology Olympiad prep.
Debate coaches turn nervous sixth graders into UCLA champions — who then return as coaches themselves.
At THIS,
We do not evaluate students only by their academic performance.
We do not discourage curiosity that drifts from writing to biology to taekwondo.
We do not rush introverted first graders into being someone they are not yet ready to become.
We support. We trust. We foster their growth.
And then — like Eason, Lucy, and Freya — our students surprise even themselves.
We cannot promise that our students will never feel nervous in their first days at THIS or cry facing hardships. We cannot promise their path will be straight.
But we can promise that at THIS, for all students,
And one day, years later, they might come back to help the next generation.
This is in THIS culture. Not a slogan but a circle of trust.
