流萤集丨Christine 伦敦大学金匠学院录取：从「小透明」到学生会长，我终于成为了那个鲜明的自己

从一个「小透明」成为了学生会长

ISA Memory

开启了我的艺术与创意创业之路

搬离了舒适区后，从0到1的开始

自信地站在舞台中央

成为那个生动、鲜明的自己

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Writer丨Christine Wu

Looking back on my four years at school, I have transformed from an unnoticeable student into a vivid, defined individual.

My ISA journey began at the Science City Campus. Back then, having just completed the Zhongkao, my academic performance within the mainstream domestic school system had not been particularly outstanding. I felt like a dandelion seed without a destination, drifting aimlessly with the warm summer breeze.

I vaguely recall being the only girl in Year 9 at the time. Looking back now, I can scarcely remember why I was so introverted and shy, to the point of often feeling completely overwhelmed.

Yet, I will always cherish the wonderful group of people on the fifth floor of Science City—even though we were in different year groups, we felt just like a big family. I often marvelled at how incredibly fortunate I was to meet such wonderful friends here. It was amidst this laughter and joy that my ISA story officially unfolded.

In Year 9, I had not yet chosen art as my path. My father always told me, "Don't narrow your options," and I fully understood his intentions. Consequently, I explored an array of different subjects, from Physics and Chemistry to Business Management and Economics, yet none captured my true passion or aspiration. In fact, throughout my upbringing, I had always attended various art classes, and deep down, there seemed to be a persistent voice telling me: I belong to art, and I will certainly make my mark in this field.

Thus, in the second term of Year 9, I finally became the art student I had always dreamed of being. I began spending entire days immersed in the art studio, exploring diverse materials alongside senior students and sailing freely across the vast ocean of art. At that point, I seemed to have found a sense of purpose, gradually integrating into this open, inclusive, and enthusiastic environment. I began to reflect: "Should I further expand my capabilities, make myself stand out more, and enrich my senior school life?"

I began to reflect: "Should I further expand my capabilities, make myself stand out more, and enrich my senior school life?"

So, during the summer holiday on 12th August 2023, I took a leap of faith—I published my fan art animations on Rednote (Xiaohongshu) and attempted to turn them into various merchandise. To my absolute surprise, my videos received a wave of likes. My creative entrepreneurship journey had officially begun. This day holds immense significance for me. Every year since, I have celebrated this date as my personal festival, because from that day forward, everything around me began to become incredibly vivid.

In Year 10, the ISA Wenhua A Level Centre relocated from the Science City Campus to the Liwan Campus. Candidly speaking, I was resistant at first—I had grown thoroughly accustomed to and deeply enamoured with the Science City campus; it was the birthplace of my dreams. Although I knew it was merely a change of campus, my heart was filled with profound reluctance. Fortunately, my friends were still by my side. 

Upon arriving at the Liwan Campus, things changed significantly. We were no longer a small group living in a confined area; instead, we met many new friends, played volleyball together, and shared lunches. Everything became livelier, yet a part of me could not help but reminisce about those days on the fifth floor at Science City.

During Year 10, my mind was entirely consumed by my entrepreneurial path. Day in and day out, I repeated the cycle of designing merchandise, liaising with manufacturers, communicating with logistics, and studying the algorithms and engagement rules of various social media platforms. 

I was utterly captivated by growing my small business. This not only brought a tremendous sense of achievement but also allowed me to find many like-minded partners. Step by step, our products underwent round after round of iteration. 

As my experience grew, I began to design my personal IP: spanning from creative concepts to copyright registration, and expanding from small ornaments to silk scarves and apparel. Every single venture allowed me to understand the world just a little bit better.

That being said, I am acutely aware that without ISA's nurturing environment—which vigorously encourages students to develop their personal skills and sparks their creativity—I could never have come this far. I often think that had I not chosen ISA, I might still be that ordinary student grinding through test papers late into the night, yet still obtaining unsatisfactory grades, trapped in a maze of scores without ever finding where my true heart lies. 

Year 10 was a major turning point in my life. For me, this transformation was not reflected on a report card; rather, it manifested in my newfound confidence. I learned how to interact and communicate with others—a complete transformation compared to my former self. 

Time flew by. During the graduation season that year, as I watched the first cohort of A Level graduates depart, I wept uncontrollably. I feared that leaving the school gates would mean losing this precious circle of friends. At that time, I was still far too dependent on these friends who had helped me become open and confident.

In Year 11, I dedicated myself even more fiercely to studying art. Armed with the practical experience from the previous year, I solidified my decision to pursue the Illustration pathway. This was a choice born out of genuine, firsthand experience, and a direction I knew I could sustain. I have never once regretted choosing Illustration; my heart is filled only with the momentum to press forward. 

That year, I made a decision that my former self would never have dared to even contemplate—running for the Student Council, and I was successfully elected as President. Today, I stand proudly on the stage, addressing the entire school community. 

Leading a team of over twenty students, I planned and executed school events of all scales. Throughout this journey, I deeply treasured this hard-won position, seizing every opportunity to communicate with teachers and school leadership, striving to hone my leadership skills and deliver better results with each successive event.

During my third 'ISA Day', I achieved exceptionally brilliant sales with my self-designed products, with the single-day revenue surpassing 10,000 RMB! No matter how demanding my academics and club responsibilities became, I never halted my progress on the creative entrepreneurship path. 

In the second term of Year 11, I completed all my A Level examinations and achieved highly rewarding grades, which allowed me to breathe a massive sigh of relief. I knew my academic results were not always at the absolute top, but at ISA, grades are never the sole metric used to define a student. Seeing my peers excel in their respective talents and collectively making campus life so vibrant and colourful, I once again counted my blessings to be part of such a warm community.

In a flash, another graduation season arrived. This time, I took on the role of host for the graduation ceremony. Standing on the stage, I shed no tears; instead, I shared mutual blessings amidst waves of laughter. This year, I finally came to understand that true friendship does not dissipate due to distance. I no longer fear parting, nor do I fear loneliness, because I know we are always marching forward side by side.

The arrival of the university application season meant I had to temporarily set aside matters outside my academic studies. After researching numerous institutions in depth, I locked in my dream school—Goldsmiths, University of London. I remain drawn to universities with robust comprehensive strength and a vibrant campus atmosphere. My Year 12 days have drawn to a close in the blink of an eye, and the countdown to bidding farewell to ISA has quietly commenced. I have finally become the person I once dreamed of being: no longer blindly drilling through test papers, but rather evolving into a vivid individual who eagerly embraces the wider world. 

I have transformed from an 'invisible' student into the 'backbone' of student life on campus. I no longer view the world as a series of cold exam papers, but rather as a vast forest waiting to be explored. 

I have become filled with courage. Standing truly upon the graduation ceremony stage, I feel the world opening its doors to me, and I am stepping forward with absolute conviction.

Thank you, ISA, for providing me with so many platforms to showcase myself, and for embracing my many imperfections during my growth. 

Thank you to the students who voted for me during the Student Council election, and to the partners and teachers who fought shoulder-to-shoulder with me while planning events. Throughout these four years of study, I have realised that the school never defined who I ought to become; it merely offered countless possibilities, encouraging me to experience and choose to the absolute best of my ability. It is because of this that the bold and proactive Christine of today exists. 

I am also grateful to myself for working so hard to make my senior school life incredibly rich and colourful.