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BROADENING HORIZONS AND GROWTH BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
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The teenage period is a pivotal time of transition and self-discovery. It is a phase marked by transformative experiences — such as new schools, new friends and new hobbies — as adolescents gradually find their footing into young adulthood. While the journey can be trying at times, navigating such changes helps teens build their identity, develop a sense of independence, and gain the knowledge and skills to face future challenges confidently.
So it is with two students from Hwa Chong International School (HCIS), Carol Rachel Lui and Sofia Chen Jia Hui Ratchanee. Both recipients of the HCIS Merit-based Scholarship, they joined the school under different circumstances. In just a few years, they have flourished in and out of the classroom and grown into young leaders ready to make their mark on the world.
A SURPRISING CHANGE
At the end of Year 4 in a local Integrated Programme school, Carol had a surprise for her parents: She revealed her intention to take the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) route at HCIS instead of continuing on to A-Levels.
Carol, now 18, felt strongly that the IBDP’s focus on higher-order critical thinking skills would be a good fit for her interest in the English language, literature and humanities. “In the IBDP, you learn to consider the rationale behind things, which helps you become more thoughtful and reflective,” she explained. “For example, the Theory of Knowledge course offers insightful discussions on the nature of knowledge and where it comes from.”
To learn more about the IBDP, her parents attended talks given by the HCIS faculty. Carol’s father, civil servant Dennis Lui, also contacted one of his former university professors in the United Kingdom to ask for his opinion of the academic qualification. The favourable reply gave him assurance that the IBDP would open doors for his daughter around the world.
“I also like that HCIS is integrated into the Hwa Chong family in terms of having the same values and the support of the whole ecosystem,” added Mr Lui. “The strength of the Hwa Chong tradition comes through in how the school emphasises the continual pursuit of excellence in each student.”
FINDING A LARGER PURPOSE
Carol joined HCIS in Year 5 in 2023 and, besides keeping up with the rigours of the IBDP, soon established herself in the debating and student leadership scene. Her notable accomplishments include being named Singapore and Southeast Asia’s Best Speaker at the Asia Pacific Debate Championships 2023, and representing HCIS at the ASEAN Youth Conference 2023.
Elaborating on the latter event, Carol enjoyed conversing with other ASEAN youth delegates. “Many of them have set up their own charities and made a positive impact on society,” she recalled. “Their stories have inspired me and fuelled my passion to serve the community, rather than simply chasing excellence for the sake of it.”
LESSONS FROM THE REAL WORLD:
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
A memorable part of Carol’s HCIS education has been the myriad experiential learning opportunities, where students engage in out-of-classroom and overseas activities designed to nurture critical life skills such as teamwork, leadership, resilience and communication.
Such activities have deepened Carol’s exposure to community service and the various ways of giving back to society. For instance, she helped organise a carnival for migrant workers to relax and have fun on their off days, which opened her eyes to the plight of migrant workers in Singapore. She also participated in a service learning trip to Merapoh, a small town in Malaysia, and was tasked with coordinating games for her group to play with the local children.
Through these learning journeys, Mr Lui observed that his daughter has become more open to multiple perspectives. “Carol has learned to see things from different points of view and is able to connect the dots better,” he said. “These are important global skills that will put her on a positive path.”
Carol was also conferred the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Young Leader Award in 2024, making her the first-ever international school student to receive this honour. Around 20 individuals receive the award each year in recognition of their excellent academic achievements and outstanding co-curricular activity (CCA) performance, and to motivate them in their ongoing journey to become next-generation leaders.
As part of the application process, Carol wrote an essay on the challenges Singapore’s defence faces in an increasingly polarised geopolitical global environment. Researching the topic and meeting inspiring military personnel through the award have prompted her to consider a future career that can serve society and nation.
“I’m thinking of majoring in law at university,” said Carol, who recently celebrated her graduation from HCIS. “Having learned about different concepts of justice in my IBDP classes, I’m interested to study the justice system and how the personal interacts with the political.”
Looking back on the last two years, Mr Lui expressed pride in seeing his daughter thrive and be empowered in a new educational setting. “Carol has stepped out of her comfort zone, taken ownership of her learning, and found her direction and purpose in life,” he said.
A SMOOTH TRANSITION
In 2021, then 13-year-old Sofia returned to Singapore with her family, following a five-year stay in the United States. When choosing a school for Sofia, her parents were keen to find one that offers the IBDP, as they believed it would prepare her well for a university education abroad. Inculcating Asian values in their daughter — who is half-Singaporean, half-Thai — was also important to the family.
“Learning about Asian values would help Sofia assimilate better in Singapore and connect to her heritage,” explained her mother Ann Kositchotitana, who works as a business mentor to start-ups. “We also wanted her to be familiar with the Chinese language and culture. This may be useful for her future career, given China’s leading role in the global market.”
Liking what they saw at HCIS, and based on recommendations from friends, Sofia’s parents enrolled her at the school as a Year 1 student. Sofia was able to adjust to her new learning environment without much difficulty, despite initially worrying whether she could cope with the education system in Singapore. “The teachers are really nice and would patiently explain the concepts I found challenging,” she recounted.
“The teachers encourage us to ask questions in class and discuss world issues,” added Sofia, now 16. One global issue close to her heart is climate change, having lived in California and witnessed the devastating wildfires that swept across the state.
At HCIS, she has taken a proactive stance to combat the climate crisis. Sofia is a founding member of the school’s Green Council, a student committee that was formed in 2022, and served as its vice-president in 2023.
The HCIS Green Council organises environmental initiatives that advocate for greener habits and lifestyles among the HCIS community. During her tenure as vice-president, Sofia managed the committee’s social media posts and helped with event planning. Her efforts contributed to HCIS winning two awards from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in 2023: The Eco-Schools Green Flag Award, in recognition of HCIS’s eco-achievements; and the Excellence Award for Campaigns, for its well-received Earth Week activities.
SUPPORTED AS SHE AIMS HIGH
Another of Sofia’s passions is archery. In her first year at HCIS, Sofia joined the school’s Archery CCA. With the support of coaches and teammates, it did not take long for her talent and skills to shine.
Now captain of HCIS’s archery team, Sofia has picked up a slew of individual and team medals at tournaments both in Singapore and overseas. Highlights include winning team gold at the Singapore Archery Youth Open in conjunction with the Singapore Youth Olympic Festival 2024, and achieving a three-peat team gold at the National Inter-School Archery Championships from 2022 to 2024.
“Being a competitive archer has instilled confidence in me and helped build resilience, perseverance, grit, determination and focus — attributes that also apply to academic life,” said Sofia, whose dream is to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics. She has also taken on more responsibilities as team captain, such as mentoring rookie archers and organising practice sessions.
Balancing schoolwork with archery commitments is not easy, but Sofia is grateful for the support of her teachers. For example, they give homework assignments and class notes to Sofia in advance so that she can keep up with her studies while attending competitions. When needed, they grant extensions on assignments. Such support will be even more crucial come 2025, as Sofia enters Year 5 and embarks on the IBDP while training hard to hopefully join the national youth archery team.
“HCIS enables each student to explore and pursue their passion, whether in sports or academics,” observed Ms Kositchotitana. “Learning happens holistically, and students are always supported and nurtured.”
Sofia and Carol can both attest to this, as they continue to thrive at HCIS and beyond.
