School & Program
Dalhousie University, Earth Sciences

Meadowridge Student Since
Grade 8

Born in
Beijing, China

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I like to be outside. I enjoy any outdoor activity, but really love skiing, climbing, and surfing. I also like to go air rifle shooting. My love for the outdoors was sparked on my first Week Without Walls trip in Grade 8. It was then that I realized how much I enjoyed being outside and with nature. We didn’t have those opportunities in China since it’s all buildings and no forests, so coming here made me realize how calm I felt in nature. Just hearing the birds, feeling the grass… I felt clean and pure. So it was later that I got into sports that let me be outside.

 Music is a big part of me, too. I play the saxophone.

How did you first find yourself at Meadowridge?

I was actually on an international student exchange program in Los Angeles when my parents called me and were like, “do you want to go to Canada?” So they brought me here. That was in Grade 6, and I came to Meadowridge in Grade 8. I had switched schools often at that point and I sometimes didn’t like the changes but, in this case, I was glad. Meadowridge was unlike any of the other schools I had been to. The people were nice, friendly, and always offering to help. I felt more welcomed here than at other schools. That’s what makes Meadowridge different.

Tell us about your year ahead.

I’m going to Halifax to study Earth Sciences at Dalhousie University.

What was it about Earth Sciences? About Dalhousie?

Earth Sciences is one of the only majors that is outdoors-ish. I talked to a friend who is studying Earth Science, and I’ve known ever since. When I’m older, I don’t want a behind-the-desk job. It also helped to talk to Ms. Mohoruk, who talked to me about her experiences in Earth Science – about the stuff she got to do – and it was all so interesting and exciting for me.

Meadowridge was unlike any of the other schools I had been to. The people were nice, friendly, and always offering to help. I felt more welcomed here than at other schools

As for Dalhousie, I wanted to try something new. I applied to nearby schools, but I wanted to go experience somewhere else. Locale was important. Also, Dalhousie has a good Earth Sciences program.

What are you most looking forward to in the year ahead?

Living on campus, and finding and making new friends. Moving to a new city is also exciting for me. I am looking forward to a lot, but one of my favourite things to say is “I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.” So we’ll see.

What will you miss most as you move onto the next chapter?

A lot of things, actually. Meadowridge is a supportive environment. Just seeing teachers and students interact with each other, that’s what I’ll miss the most. Also, all the trips I’ve been on, the international and non-international trips. I went on all of them – Guatemala in Grade 8, Florida in Grade 9, Spain in Grade 10, and Costa Rice in Grade 11 – and they were all amazing opportunities. I love the outdoors, but it’s not just the outdoors that I love. It’s being outdoors with my friends. I like how the school provides opportunities for that.

Any parting words of wisdom?

I’d say try to be positive every day. Even though it might be hard at times. Maybe you failed a test, or are stressing about an exam, but try to keep your head up. You can be sad about a couple things, but it is always going to get better. Stay positive, and everything will be easier. For me, that’s not getting too hung up on the future. Don’t plan too far into the future. People get hung up on where they should be or where they want to be and they lose focus on where they are. They forget to make the most out of where they are. You can’t plan too far into the future. There’s lots of factors that will come into play, and they’re impossible to predict. Focus on the present.