Taking Charge - High School Self-Direction

When I arrived at Western International School of Shanghai (WISS) for ninth grade, I found myself coasting. For the first time in years, school felt easy—too easy. After spending middle school making up ground in Chinese language learning, suddenly being back in an English-primary environment felt like switching from hard mode to tutorial level. The classes were fine, the teachers were good, but something was missing: that feeling of being pushed beyond my comfort zone.

That's when I realized I had a choice: I could wait for school to challenge me, or I could take control of my own education. So I stopped waiting for motivation to come from my teachers or curriculum. Instead of stopping at asking "What do I need to do for this class?" I continued by asking "What do I actually want to learn? What skills will serve me in the future?" The answer kept circling back to healthcare, education, and communications.

I started actively seeking out challenges myself. I attended workshops focused on healthcare innovation, joining programs that pushed my understanding of healthcare. I completed coursework for online specializations at accredited universities in topics I was drawn towards. I connected with professionals who worked in medicine and public health. I pursued competitive summer internships at several major international hospitals around Shanghai where I could observe real-world medical practice and learn from experienced healthcare professionals.

I also used this yearning for challenge to capitalize on opportunities in school as well. I immersed myself in my Personal Project and poured effort into my Extended Essay, exploring topics such as biomedical design and surgery. I occupied myself with leadership roles across school—from Student Council Vice President to founding MedBridge, where I began organizing first aid sessions for younger grades and arranging training for staff. I used my standing and connections at school to build the foundations of what would become a bridge between students and the medical community.

This approach taught me something crucial: the best education isn’t given, it’s taken. Teachers and schools provide structure and resources, but real learning happens when you take ownership of your own growth. I learned to prioritize activities that aligned with my long-term goals and to focus on building genuine skills rather than collecting achievements for their own sake.

Looking back, that initial feeling of being unchallenged was actually a gift. With the contrast of having been challenged in my prior years of school, it created a discontinuity that made me want to challenge myself. It also forced me to realize that no school, no matter how good, can hand you passion or drive. Those have to come from within. High school stopped being something that happened around me and became something I actively shaped. This lesson became foundational to everything that followed, including my work with MedBridge—the principle is the same: don't wait for the perfect system to come to you, build the solutions you need with whatever resources you have.