What kind of qualities do our children need to reach their dream university? Is it excellent grades? Exceptional resilience? A wealth of practical project experience? A passion for and relentless pursuit of a particular subject? Before we embark on this journey with all our might, shouldn't we first identify the destination and the direction to sail?
In the A-Level system, graduates need to be well-informed and enthusiastic about university applications. As we approach the application season for our first graduating class, The Friends of Harrow and the school have launched the Beacon Project, which aims to bring together more quality social resources for Upper School pupils to enhance their competitiveness in all aspects of their university applications.
Career Planning and University Application Preparation
In the first week of June, the Head of HR at the school held a workshop on resume preparation and interview simulation for Year 11 and Year 12 pupils. He shared valuable insights regarding employer recruitment, career development, talent cultivation in the education industry, university admission, and job hunting.
Ivy League Graduates’ Coffee Morning
Setting Goals, Pursuing Dreams
Two guests, Hang Qin and Vicky Liu, who graduated from Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania respectively, shared their experiences with Year 11 and Year 12 pupils over a coffee morning. They discussed their journeys through university application preparation, campus life, cultural integration, and job hunting after graduation.
Hang Qin emphasized the importance of integrating into the alumni network, saying, “When you need help, just actively send out signals. If you genuinely want to achieve something, the whole universe will help you.”
Vicky Liu sincerely advised, “You should actively choose the school, rather than letting the school choose you.”
Follow Your Passion, Embrace Mistakes
Five professionals from the AI technology, medical, and financial investment industries gathered to share their personal experiences and insights on career choices with Year 12 pupils, serving as industry mentors.
Head of Hugging Face China / Senior Engineer
Hugging Face is hailed as the GitHub of the artificial intelligence field.
In 2023, he was selected as one of the first "Fortune Global AI Innovators 50".
Founder of Coo Tek, a NYSE-listed company
Initiator of the Super Brain AI Incubator
Master’s degree in Communication and Information Systems from Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Medical Director at Bo’ao United Family Medical Center, Hainan
Family Medicine physician, Psychological Counselor, Psychological Therapist
MMed in Pediatrics and Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education from New Zealand
Doctor of rehabilitation medicine and Sports Rehabilitation Specialist
Head of Rehabilitation Therapy Department at UWE College of Hainan Medical University
Technical leader of the Rehabilitation Therapeutics Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical University and the supervisor of the musculoskeletal diseases’ treatment group
He participated in the cytology project of the aerospace medical experiment of the Shenzhou 14 and 15 manned missions.
Co-founder of Island Peak Innovation in Singapore
Ph.D. in Law from Nanjing University
Master’s degree in technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
The two-hour roundtable discussion was filled with memorable quotes and sparks of inspiration.
The five industry mentors have had different experiences and career paths, but they all mentioned a common keyword in their sharing: passion. They chose their fields out of passion and grew even more passionate as they delved deeper into their chosen professions.
Regarding current social issues, our pupils asked: How should we cope with the phenomenon of “involution”?
The mentors agreed that the solution is innovation, which aims to meet unmet needs. In the workplace, while there are often highly efficient people, focusing solely on speed can lead to unhealthy competition. However, innovation can provide individuals and companies with core competitiveness, enabling them to capture market share or even monopolize key technologies.
Opening Yourself to the Real World
As our children who are about to select their IGCSE and A-Level subjects are still not sure about the connection between the subjects they are studying and their career paths after graduation, 10 companies from different industries were invited by the Beacon Project to have an in-depth exchange with Year 10 to Year 12 pupils in the form of a mock job fair.
With this valuable opportunity, many pupils learnt for the first time about the business logic behind various industries, and some of them even got exciting offers and are about to take the first step of career work experience in the new school year.
Special thanks to the following companies for their participation and support:
Hainan Water Resources Management Co., Ltd.
Yuan Consultancy
Dear White
Union Bancaire Privée (UBP)
Hainan HATC Aero Sports., LTD
Zhong Lun Law Firm
FIPHARM Group
Wangfujing Haiken Plaza
Institute of Shanghai Architectural Design and Research Co., Ltd (Hainan)
TEDxDuhai Road
The Beacon Project aims to build up a community resource pool in the form of corporate visits and internship experience, industry mentor exchanges, school-enterprise research, university and alumni resources, to help our children explore their subject interests, experience career planning, and ultimately foster personal development.
By the end of the 23/24 academic year, the Beacon Project resource pool includes nearly 20 companies. We look forward to the new academic year, where with the support of more parents, we will light up even more beacons together, empowering more pupils to embark on their journeys with courage, to reach their ideal destinations.
