BWYA's Scholarship Winners
Cherry Yan: Balancing Academia and Interests
In the second part of our new series focusing on the Special Talent Scholarship winners, we had a conversation with DP1 Student, Student Council President, member of countless clubs and recent winner of both Academic and Special Talent Scholarships, Cherry Yan, as we seek to learn more about what our students have been doing in, as well as outside the classroom.
Q: Thank you for joining us this week! The Special Talent Scholarship seeks to highlight and praise work done outside the classroom. How did you feel when you found out you would be receiving a scholarship for your extra-curricular work?
A: I was pleasantly surprised and confused at the same time. Surprised, because this was the first time I have received this type of scholarship, and confused, because I really didn’t feel like I did anything special other than what I do routinely.
Q: You won the scholarship for involvement in the BWYA orchestra. What’ve you learned and enjoyed about being part of this group?
A: I’ve been in the orchestra ever since I entered this school, which was in 2014. I re-join every year because orchestra practice makes a nice break from a week of intense studying. The orchestra is definitely one of the factors that has contributed to my socializing and communication abilities. Also, frequent performances in the school such as the Evening of Arts and Wolves Talent Show, as well as in the community, including at the Indigo Mall, are events I enjoy a lot.
Q: We know that you’re very active in many of BWYA’s other clubs and groups. Why have you chosen to be involved in so many activities here?
A: Aside from being in the orchestra, I’m also in the Student Council, Forensics club, as well as the Model United Nations club. It’s busy, but I decide to take part in these clubs because it is what I like to do. And since the school provides all these opportunities, I want to make the most of them. Clubs are fun!
Q: How do you think this scholarship will encourage future BWYA students?
A: I always believe that academic grades cannot fully measure a student’s success, which also includes their special skills developed outside of class. The Special Talent Scholarship is something that recognizes students’ special talents that distinguish them from others. And this is a scholarship that can be received with dedication and commitment. Therefore, this scholarship will definitely motivate students to take part in more school-based clubs and take pride in their talents.
Q: Many thanks for sharing your insights with us this week, one final question – what advice would you give to students tempted to only focus on academic grades?
A: Again, I still don’t think grades mean everything to a person when it comes to measurement of success. And there’s a reason for that. The world out there is mysterious, fascinating, and wonderful— there’s just too much possibility to explore what you like and what you want! My ideology is, if you pay so much attention on studying and your grades just so that they appear beautiful on your transcript, when will you ever have time to enjoy life when you are most capable to do so at the most vibrant age? Life is a long run, so take breaks when you need them. And they are much needed.
As Cherry mentioned, motivating students to ‘take pride in their talents’ is very important to us at BWYA. It is part of the IB Learner Profile to be balanced learners, one of our Schoolwide Learner Outcomes to become adaptable learners, and now part of our scholarship programme.
We hope you found this insight into our scholarship programme interesting. Why not read last week’s interview with roboticist George Gao!