At Tsinglan School, April carries a sense of ceremony of its own. It is the season when songs rise, and vows take root — the season when ships long anchored in the harbor finally turn their bows toward the open sea.
Once again, a Tsinglan tradition has arrived: the College Rally. For our eleventh graders, April 24 marked the first time they stood before the entire school as "near-graduates," sounding the opening note of their college application season. From the Shuimu Theater, the voices of hosts Peter Li and Cecilia Yan rang out — lively yet solemn — setting a buoyant tone for this significant next step.
When the students called Principal Li their "Captain," she smiled and accepted the title. Standing on the stage, her gaze moving across the familiar faces below; her voice was full of pride.
"As your principal, I have always said that academics are the foundation. And you have delivered an answer that is nothing short of remarkable."
She named the honors one by one — the iGEM Global Gold Medal, the VEX Robotics Championship, the top global prize at the Conrad Innovation Challenge, and a historic first gold at the British Mathematical Olympiad. From the humanities to the sciences, from engineering to medicine, Tsinglan students display excellence.
"At Tsinglan, excellence is a habit — and you have made it a tradition."
Yet what she treasured most was not the trophies.
"You care about the air, the water, our energy, our ecosystems, and the lives around us. You are becoming true problem-solvers."
From Her Choice to SIX, from equestrianism, rowing and fencing to the First Aid Society and the Autism Care Initiative —
"You are not only academic stars. You are the soul of our campus culture."
She then recalled her years as a homeroom teacher for graduating seniors, and offered words of comfort:
"It's normal to feel nervous. Nervousness means you care about the outcome."
She reminded the students to manage their time well and finish their essays early. And she passed along a piece of advice from Principal Dianjun Wang to the parents in the room — "Speak less, do more." Be the driver, be the cook; do not drain your children's spirits with discouraging words.
Finally, our beloved "Captain" sounded the horn of departure:
"Remember — Tsinglan will always be your foundation. The leadership team, the college counseling team, your teachers — we are all right behind you. Aim higher. Dream bigger. Work harder!"
If Principal Li's words were the wind that filled the sails, what came next was the warm current that lifted the ship. Alumni who had just sailed through their own application season passed on fresh advice: "Take real breaks." "The words in your essay should be ones you could speak aloud — without ever opening a journal." From cities and campuses around the world, alumni spoke in unison: "I'll be waiting for you here." And the words of our parents — those steady, reassuring lighthouses — lit the way home long before the storms could arrive.
Before the warmth could fade, the members of UniVoice rushed to the stage, their song stirring up a tide of memories. On the screen behind them, moments from the eleventh-grade journey unfolded frame by frame — and in the lyrics, "Forget about where we are and let go. If you don't know where to start, just hold on and don't run," came the most powerful declaration of their youth.
Student representatives Miranda Zhou and Cherie Yu took the stage next. They spoke honestly about the worries that live inside every eleventh grader — but their voices carried something stronger: the resolve to break through the waves.
"So, let's embrace the moment, clench your teeth, drink your Monster, coffee, or tea, and give it your best, to leave no regrets. To getting your dream school, job, and life — we are setting sail. Let's get it, Class of 2027!"
The music dropped, and the entire high school faculty took the stage with a surprise performance prepared just for the students. Lights flickered like stars across a sea, and cheers rose wave upon wave from the audience —
"You gotta rise to your time, GRADE ELEVEN!"
In their loudest voices, the teachers told the students: on this voyage, you are never sailing alone.
What followed was the most rousing moment of Tsinglan love — a relay of cheers from each grade. The ninth graders rose from their seats and gathered around the eleventh graders. The tenth graders called out from the stage and the floor: "Grade 11 makes us proud!" The twelfth graders carried forward the melody of Counterstrike, wishing their juniors would "conquer the universe and take on the world." And finally, the eleventh graders themselves took the spotlight, shouting in one voice the rhythm that would define their year: "Dream-plan, yes we can!"
G9 On campus — run the block College rally — we can't stop Get that offer — we don't stop Whole team up — we at the top
G10 Grade 11! You can do it! One more step! Let's get through it! Stay strong! Say it loud — Grade 11 makes us proud!
G11 Let's go Juniors! I have a dream! I have a plan! Uh! Dream-plan! Top schools wait! Ivies and Oxbridge! Uh! Yes-we-can! Dream-plan! Yes-we-can! Uh! Let's go Juniors, Yes we can!
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The ship was now loaded with passion and encouragement. But a vessel bound for distant shores still needs two more things: a flag pointed toward the horizon, and an anchor — a vow — sunk deep into the sea.
A flag bearing the names of every eleventh grader and the world's top universities was solemnly handed from Mr.Iliffe, Principal Bai, and Mr. Hammond to three student flag-bearers — Eason Pan, Cherie Yu, and Shirly Qin.
Then, led by Leo Huo, every eleventh grader raised their right hand and recited spoke the oath:
In the name of youth,
I pledge for my dream:
With the pen as my sword,
and the heart as my sail,
I walk on solid ground;
I stand firm with resilience.
Class of 2027
we are ready to roll！
As the vow settled, the rally drew toward its close — but the surprises were not yet finished. Handwritten letters from parents, still warm with care, were quietly placed into the students' hands. And as they walked out of the theater, more love was waiting at the door: family photos collected in advance, and personalized blessing cards handcrafted by the eleventh-grade homeroom teachers. On this day, love had been hidden in every corner.
This stirring celebration was thoughtfully orchestrated by Yiru Yang, Justin He, and their team — Eva Cao, Miranda Zhou, Peter Li, Yan Song, Cecilia Yan, Cherie Yang, Yiming Qin, and Leo Huo. Through this ceremony, they showed remarkable organizational strength: this was not merely an event, but a declaration of growth itself.
Every visual element carried a touch of intention. The map at the entrance — themed "Tsinglan takes you to the world" — was brought to life by Aurora Fu. The flag, designed by Austen Zhu, stood as a symbol of our "honor and dreams." The invitations and posters, born from the pen of Eva Cao, captured the anticipation and the far-looking gaze of those about to set sail.
The moving blessing video — carrying the heartfelt wishes of the upperclassmen for their juniors — was edited by twelfth graders Mike Ma and Ruhi Lin, together with Ms. Sandra Ge. The stirring oath of youth was written by tenth grader William Lin, every word ringing with conviction. And from the G9 and G10 Student Councils came a wave of campus interviews cheering the Class of 2027 forward — a powerful echo from across the school.
Nor will we forget the quiet, generous work of our volunteers — Joy Wan, Jayden Sun, Han Cui, Joyce Li, Melody Zhou, and Selina Lin. Behind every creative idea that came to life stood Principal Bai, Ms. Sandra Ge, and the G11 homeroom team — capturing each delicate moment, and standing as the steady support that made it all possible.
On this day, encouragement, cheers, blessings, and hopes — were gathered, one by one, into the bags of the Class of 2027.
The road ahead may bring storms, may bring fog. But the lighthouse is on the horizon, the waves are beneath your feet, and your companions are right beside you.
Set sail, Class of 2027.
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