Five New Faces

New semester, new people, new talents. Here’s a quick introduction to the newest members of the AISG high school community:

(1) Jueun C.

Do you like Cantonese food? Jueun C. does too; it’s been one of her favorite parts of living in Guangzhou so far. One of the things she’s quick to point out, however, is the peculiar and unexpected weather of Guangzhou: “it’s so hot in the day and so cold at night,” she elaborates. Jueun C. likes math class here at AISG: even though she has faced a few challenges, the class is generally pretty easy for her. This is Jueun’s second time living in China—a few years ago, she lived in Nanjing for four and a half years.

(2) Juyeong C.

Juyeong C’s last stop was South Korea, but he has lived in China before: his family lived in Nanjing a few years ago. Sound familiar? Juyeong and Jueun are twins! Other than sharing a last name, they also seem to share an affinity for classes which they find easy and relaxing. So far, Juyeong likes PE class the most. He thinks that the classes here are longer and easier than the classes in his last school, and has also been impressed by the size of Guangzhou and the wide variety of different types of food available. Juyeong likes to play the guitar and draw in his free time.

(3) Gahyun J

Gahyun J. likes being able to choose her electives at AISG, because it “gives [her] opportunity to try various activities and [experience different things].” Her favorite class is her elective, choir. Impressively, within a few weeks of being at AISG, she has already joined Roots & Shoots and APAC Badminton. In her free time, Gahyun likes listening to music, watching movies and occasionally reading—but on campus, you might find her at the cafe, which she likes because you can buy something to drink there. Before Guangzhou, she spent 10 months in Beijing and was in South Korea before that.

(4) Mahdia L

Mahdia L. is not new to being new, because she has been moving around her whole life—New York, Canada, Bangladesh…she’s lived in all of those places. Avid readers and book lovers might find a kindred soul in Mahdia, who proudly declares “I read books more than I watch movies.” She already loves AISG’s library, even though she thinks it might be slightly smaller than the one in her last school in New York. When she’s isn’t too preoccupied with reading, she also plays the piano. Mahdia thinks she won’t be living in Guangzhou for long, so make sure you get to meet her soon!

(5) Jisoo S

Jisoo S. enjoys living near shopping malls and the busy city center of Guangzhou. He was in Shanghai for 4 years before coming here, and although they are quite similar in size, thinks that his last school is run differently from AISG. For him, the saddest difference is having to pay for food: “when I was going to the school in Shanghai, I didn’t have to pay for the food…and we also got snacks for free…but now I have to pay for everything, and I don’t understand why there isn’t water in the cafeteria.” Despite this, Jisoo seems to be enjoying himself at AISG. His favorite class is PE, because he likes the workouts and fast pace of the lessons. He likes sports and has considered joining soccer.

We all know how the hierarchy works: there’s nothing scarier than walking around as a powerless AND new freshman, so make sure to give a friendly smile to these new faces so they feel welcomed. Invite and encourage this talented group to join your clubs and activities!