Beijing Winter Olympics, after 00 shine on the field!
Born in 2004, Su Yiming won a silver medal in the men's slope steeplechase competition on snowboarding;
Gu Ailing, born in 2003, won the championship in the freestyle ski women's big jump;
Born in 2001, Li Wenlong won the silver medal in the men's 1000 meters of short track speed skating;
There is also Zhao Jiawen (born 2001), the last torchbearer of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics and the first Chinese Nordic biathlon, Han Yu, the captain of the Chinese curling women's team (born in 2000), Zhang Chutong (2003), Zhang Tianyi (2004) of Chinese short track speed skaters...
On the field, they fought for their dreams and challenged the limits of human beings, and lived out the "best look" of China's post-00s.
Recently, I interviewed 3 post-00s teenagers from Shenzhen, among them, there are engineering gods who can build drones and satellites, and are also the president of LGBT clubs; there are beautiful girls who run magazines on campus and play as student ambassadors; there are art, football, volleyball, rowing, musicals, chorus, photography, Vlog all-round art goddesses...
Let me see that outside the arena, the post-00s are active in various fields, fighting and burning!
They happen to be vanke Meisha Academy, one of the most dynamic and self-breaking schools in Shenzhen.
This is an underrated school. Not only because of its picturesque campus surrounded by mountains and seas, there are more than 200 courses, nearly 80 clubs, more than 20 art classes, 14 sports classes, as well as various master classes, STEAM classrooms, carpentry workshops, gyms, etc.;
It is also because it has created many "Shenzhen firsts" in the 6 years since its establishment, such as becoming the first in Shenzhen to be fully certified by the Western Alliance of American Colleges and Universities (WASC), the first Shenzhen ACT course examination center, etc., and its progression results have increased year after year.
In 2021, Mesha's graduates won top offers from Columbia University, Northwestern University, Johns Hopkins University, etc., and the total number of admissions and scholarships received hit a new 4-year high.
As of February 8, the students of vanke mesha college in 2022 have won a total of 213 overseas efficient admissions from the United States, Britain, Australia, Canada and Switzerland, with a total of about 9.8 million yuan (RMB) in scholarships, including Emory University, New York University, Imperial College, University College London and other well-known universities in the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as top art colleges such as Parsons School of Design and Berkeley School of Music.
But what I like even more is the students who are extremely self-motivated and alive here. Here, each student can find his or her passion and develop a unique personality. They are like "co-creators", highly involved in the various activities and operations of the school, and together they have created the "interesting soul" of Vanke Mesha.
How did these post-00s grow? Let's listen to the stories of three post-00s teenagers who have unique experiences in science and engineering, humanities and social sciences and arts.
#01
Fang Hongsen is like a "He classmate" of Vanke Meisha, who has been interested in engineering since childhood, has strong hands-on ability, and can really turn ideas into reality.
In the three years of high school, he has worked on many engineering projects, such as "UAV Maritime Rescue System", "Meteorological Detection Satellite", "Intelligent Ball Assist Robot", etc., and participated in the World Youth Drone Competition, Shenzhen Youth Science and Technology Innovation Competition, etc., and won various awards.
For example, the "Drone Maritime Rescue System" was inspired by his chat with a lifeguard on the seashore in Vanke Mesha.
△ Vanke Meisha Academy located in Shenzhen Yantian Dameisha Seashore
"The lifeguard told me that there was bad weather at sea and it was difficult for rescuers to carry out rescue if they were far away. Because I have been a member of the model aircraft club and have done drones and water rockets, I designed a device mounted on the drone, which has an infrared camera that can quickly search for the location of sea people, and a rescue facility that can throw lifebuoys into the sea in the air. ”
The biggest highlight of this device is that the delivery system is detachable and can be installed on any existing drone, which is more practical. Fang Hongsen also plans to continue to look for more reliable energy solutions to improve the device after entering the university in the future. In his view, the purpose of engineering is to use what you have learned to really solve real problems in reality.
With this idea in mind, he also made a small satellite that can be placed on the clouds to monitor meteorological data; an artificial intelligence psychological assessment system that can judge the student's mental state and whether there is a depressive tendency through the tone of the student's chat, so as to provide psychological help...
None of these projects are simple and require a lot of engineering as well as interdisciplinary knowledge and skills. Vanke Mesa has 200+ courses, regardless of the cost to give students the freedom to learn and explore. Even in the "engineering" segment, Metha has enough courses.
△ Fang Hongsen designed the keyboard in the electronic engineering class
Before his junior year of high school, Fang Hongsen completed all of Meisha's engineering and computer classes, including programming and electronics (level 3), electronic engineering (level 4), FRC (First Robotic Competition for high school students, level 4), as well as JAVA, AP computers, and so on.
I was surprised that these college-sounding courses were already available at Maesha High School, and the curriculum system was so perfect! "Not only that," Fang Hongsen said, "if there is no curriculum we need, as long as Meisha's teachers have this knowledge and enough students want to go to school, the school will open a new curriculum for students." For example, many students want to further understand artificial intelligence, algorithms, just we have a teacher to learn, everyone hit it off, next year Meisha will open AI-related courses. ”
There is a small detail that the courses that Fang Hongsen introduced to me will add grades, which is Meisha's unique course design - each course has a difficulty level, divided into 2-6 levels, level 2 is a high school class, level 3 is a high school second, level 4 high three, 5 AP difficulty, level 6 is a more research-oriented course. The three engineering courses selected by Fang Hongsen are one of level 3 and two of which are level 4 of difficulty.
"Even classes at the same level will continue to indicate the difficulty, such as the robot class at level 4 and the language class at level 4, which may require 7-8 hours of additional time per week, and the latter 2-3 hours." In this way, students can choose courses according to their current level, combined with the difficulty of the course and the time required, so as to avoid the occurrence of courses that are too difficult or too easy to choose. ”
△ Vanke Mesa's STEAM center and carpentry workshop are the base camps created by students, Fang Hongsen said, many of the hard parts in his project are made with Meisha's laser cutting machine and 3D printer, saving a lot of costs
Mesha's teachers are also very good. "My engineering teacher graduated from abroad and has a lot of experience in engineering, taking me step by step, from finding problems, finding ideas, designing drafts, to making prototypes, testing, modifications, finished products, and going through the process of making a complete project." The engineering teacher in the third year of high school, with very rich theoretical knowledge, also let me become a teaching assistant, and prepared lessons with him, discussed courses and projects, and gave me many opportunities. ”
Not only in the school, but also in the innovative city of Shenzhen, Meisha will also recommend students to participate in various off-campus projects, and Fang Hongsen has participated in the activities of Tencent Youth Science and Technology College.
△ 75 "mini geese" took a group photo in front of Tencent's headquarters, including 10 Vanke Meisha students
In Fang Hongsen, I saw the perfect combination of self-driving force and school resources.
"When I came to Mesa, I had a very clear direction, and Mesa helped me to continue to cultivate in the areas I liked, so that I was more sure of the future direction. Some of my classmates who had no direction before also finally found their goals through a lot of practice in Meisha. ”
Do you think the story about Classmate Fang is over? No! In addition to science and engineering, Fang Hongsen is also the president of the school's Prism Society, a society focused on gender education and LGBT equality, dedicated to speaking out for minorities.
"For example, we see some girls who forget to wear sanitary napkins but are ashamed to express themselves, so they put mutual aid boxes in the school's women's toilet to provide sanitary napkins. We have also held exhibitions on sex education and women's rights outside the school. ”
I was very surprised that a boy could discuss with me such intimate topics as sanitary napkins, sex education, and LGBT, and Fang Hongsen was very frank about it, "Many people have some stereotypes and prejudices because of the lack of sex education, and we just hope to change the situation of 'talking about sexual discoloration'." ”
This calmness is also inseparable from the support of the school. "Many schools don't dare to open such clubs, but Mesa is very encouraging of diversity, as long as we abide by Chinese laws and are a compliant club, the school will allow it and will provide us with financial support."
△ FRC Science and Technology Innovation Society
The "big god" of science and engineering is still the president of the LGBT society, and I asked Fang Hongsen how he preferred to define himself. To my surprise, Mr. Fang said, he preferred to call himself a "community servicer."
"Whether I'm working in technology, engineering, or advocating for minority rights, I want my community to be better."
#02
Before the 2020 middle school entrance examination, Wang Siqi, who filled in the volunteer form, was faced with a choice, what kind of learning style to expect in the three years of high school? Finally, after understanding meisha college's educational philosophy, curriculum, artistic atmosphere and diversified community environment, Siqi and his family decided that meisha college was the most suitable choice for them.
For this decision, Si Qi still says that he still "does not regret it".
If in Meisha, Fang Hongsen's science and engineering disciplines are like fish in the water, then Wang Siqi can be said to be having a good time in the field of humanities and social sciences that he likes. The experience that made her feel most regretful was joining the long-awaited Mesha [Tide · Tide] magazine and ran a year later to become its current president.
△2021-2022 "Tide · Group photo of tide magazine club members and instructors
When the 8th grade first participated in the Meisha Campus Open Day, Si Qi, who loves media and has five years of experience as a campus host, encountered this campus media platform run by students. Tide] Magazine.
"At that time, I thought this society was so powerful, I must apply!" After joining the company, I found that it was richer than I thought, with three departments: editorial department, creative department (design department), and outreach department. Every week, we will conduct public account column activities and annual paper annual magazine topic brainstorming, interviews and cultural and creative activity planning, task draft revision review, etc., which is very professional and satisfies all my imagination of media clubs. ”
In the two years of the magazine, Siqi grew up very fast, she planned the character interview of Meisha teacher, participated in the production of the magazine's fifth anniversary special issue, and did the annual popular activity "Three Love Books" collection activity publicity copywriting, etc.
△ 2022 Three Quotes Call for Tweet Cover Image
Like Fang Hongsen, who has the support of many teachers, Si Qi mentioned that the guidance teachers of the magazine could not stop.
"Meisha's literary and artistic activities have two treasures of the town school, one is the general director of the annual Christmas and New Year party, Teacher Jia, and the other is Teacher Wu, the guidance teacher of our magazine, and almost all the writing work of the major literary and artistic activities in the school is presided over by Teacher Wu. In the community, she and we are like friends and family. There are many manuscripts in the magazine, and the teacher as the leader of the language department is already very busy with his teaching work, but even if he works overtime until the early morning, he will read the manuscript one by one and give us a lot of constructive suggestions. ”
△ Fifth Anniversary Special Issue and Peripheral - Stickers. Every year, members of the Creative Department design stickers, folders, refrigerator stickers, pendants and other peripheral products inspired by the magazine's column activities
In addition to the magazine, the energetic Siqi is also a member of the Student Ambassador Corps, and whenever she goes to the campus open day, she will take parents to visit the school and answer questions.
Because she has a deep affection for the school, Siqi said that she especially wants to recommend Mesha to all parents to help them make a choice. Once she enthusiastically introduced the school to more than a dozen parents, and finally the team grew to 50-60, which made her feel very accomplished.
"The school will train our manners in advance, which is also a good exercise for my own expression, social skills, etc."
△ Si Qi hosted the open house
As an academic student, Si Qi, who has a wealth of activities, has not left her studies behind, and continues to exert efforts in the field of humanities and social sciences that she likes.
She likes the student-centered, free-talking discussions in AP Seminar classes, and the truth slowly emerges under Socratic questioning and debate;
She also enjoys drama classes, not only systematically learning the history of theater development, collaborating with her classmates to write 10 pages of original English scripts, but also directing and acting in various forms of drama such as Melodrama and Pantomine.
"I've played small animals, I've played couriers, I've improvised malevolent actresses, and I've experienced a life that's impossible to try in the ocean of drama, which is particularly refreshing."
△ VMA Drama Class
As a lover of words, Siqi also greatly appreciates Meisha's persistence in Chinese culture.
"Meisha College attaches great importance to cultivating the Chinese spirit of students. The college has opened a Traditional Chinese Cultural Activity Center 'Xin Zhai', which includes traditional musical instruments, Go, tea sets, calligraphy and painting. Occasionally, when I have time, I will go to the heart to play bau and play chess. The college also often organizes traditional Chinese cultural activities, such as the Mid-Autumn Festival. ”
△ VMA Heart
"Although I studied in the international system, the seed of Chinese culture in my heart has been growing vigorously. After going abroad, while integrating into Western culture, you can also carry out reverse cultural export. Mesa's commitment to traditional culture makes it a unique treasure in international schools. ”
#03
"I didn't learn PS", but she hand-painted the logo for the graduation ceremony for this year's (2021) graduates;
"I didn't major in vocal music", but she challenged many classic musicals during the year;
"I didn't study photography professionally", but the images she always creates are particularly impressive...
This is the beginning of a biography written by MeiSha Gong for Gao Yonglan.
In 2020, due to the epidemic, Gao Yonglan returned to China from a boarding high school in the United Kingdom. At that time, she was already thinking about the future of art-related majors, such as art design and photography, "I would like to take these classes in the field, rather than taking online classes at home in British schools." ”
Mesha was chosen because of his strong admission to the art direction. In 2021 alone, Meisha's students received 6 offers from top foreign art schools such as Lunyi, 14 Parsons, 8 Art Center School of Design, 9 art institutes of Chicago, 18 Pratt and other top foreign art schools, leading the country.
After only one year of studying in Meisha, Gao Yonglan successfully applied for the preparatory department of the University of the Arts London (UAL) as a G11, and she could have entered the university early, but she stayed in Meisha because of the epidemic.
In just two years in Meisha, the outgoing and cheerful Gao Yonglan participated in the activities that made me almost drop my jaw. Is this girl nicknamed "Tall Man" 48 hours a day?!
Lo and behold, she is a member of the Linglai Choir and has participated in many musicals; she is the host of the Mesha TEDx, and she is also the leader of the design team, who collaborated with another classmate to design the main vision, and is also a member of the graduation committee, designing the logo of the graduation ceremony;
△ Left: Member of the Linglai Choir; Right: One of the musicals in which Gao Yonglan participated
She is a member of the varsity teams of football, volleyball and rowing;
△ Left: volleyball varsity team photo, right: football varsity team photo
She used Vlog to record Meisha's life, and also directed two short videos, which were posted on the B station;
A large number of posters and photographs were taken;
△ Gao Yonglan's photographic works
At the same time, she also has classes, chemistry, mathematics, programming, English, photography, printmaking, 3D art... Oh, and the graduation portfolio!
Isn't that amazing?!
Gao Yonglan said that participating in these activities is just her desire to integrate into the school atmosphere as soon as possible, and Meisha provides a lot of opportunities, so she has tried a variety of different things in her areas of interest.
Each event "very, very much exercised my organizational, co-ordination, time management and sociability skills, and learned a lot of things, but also brought a lot of inspiration." ”
△ The school uniform poster taken by Gao Yonglan, from planning, shooting to final design, is a little bit of his own groping
In the field of art, Gao Yonglan said that Meisha is really powerful. "Like the art history class, I met a very good teacher, I originally thought it would be to listen to the teacher's lecture, but in fact, the participation of the whole student is very high, the art class is a small class, like the art history class only about 10 people, more convenient for us to discuss." 」
Gao Yonglan's final graduation portfolio was completely completed in Meisha, and there was no institution.
"Mesha has a special portfolio class, and each tutor has his own area of expertise. The mentor I chose later became a very good friend of mine, she understood me very well, would not tell me how to make a work, but constantly chatted with me, discussed, and inspired me. Sometimes we can send dozens of messages back and forth on WeChat, and often one or two of them suddenly give me inspiration, and many of my epiphanies and new ideas are generated from such continuous communication. ”
△ Visual arts classroom
In half a semester, art students like Gao Yonglan have to complete a big work, and each student has to do a presentation, judged by the art teacher.
"It's like each of us has a team of experts, and all the art teachers listen to the students' shares and ask questions, and they also give us suggestions to help us improve." The whole process is the same as showing my work to the admissions officer when applying to college, and every midterm final work of Mesa gives me the opportunity to practice. ”
"Words written at the back"
During the interview, Gao Yonglan has received an offer from Parsons, a top design school in the United States, but she is still waiting for an offer from her dream school, the University of the Arts London (UAL).
Fang Hongsen, a 12th grader, is also waiting for his dream school, known as the "Mother of American Aerospace" and a offer from Purdue University, a member of the famous "Public Ivy League" alliance.
Students are the biggest shining point of Vanke Mesa, and the light of students also stems from the free, open and diverse atmosphere provided by Mesha.
In interviews, the three students mentioned more than once that they liked Mesha's super rich curriculum, experienced, powerful and friendly teachers, and a campus culture that encouraged everything to try and had a sense of belonging.
Bystanders looked, "Why do you have a lot of fun in your school every day?" Gao Yonglan said that in fact, we should be active when we should be active, and we should study and learn very strictly.
"A large proportion of our scores are process scores, so students need to go all out at all times, rather than temporarily holding on to their feet, just brushing enough questions." Our academic atmosphere is very good, self-disciplined students will have a lot of freedom, and self-disciplined students, the school will always track, look for problems, timely adjustment. Fang Hongsen agreed.
Ultimately, each Mesha student will try to achieve a state of balance as much as possible, finding their own track and stage.