When "The First Time" Becomes the Starting Point of Strength: His Six-Year Growth Journey at HIS
He is Hu Jikang (Mattia), a vivid example who has spent six years at HIS, growing from an immature youth to a radiant individual.
However, if we turn back the clock to the winter of 2020, the story had a completely different beginning.
The Boy with the Large Luggage
The story began in the winter of 2020. Having grown up in Italy, Mattia had just returned to China. Dragging a “luggage almost as big as himself,” he stepped into the campus of HIS. Inside the suitcase were not only his belongings but also a heart filled with nervousness and unease.
For a child, an unfamiliar environment and boarding life were a great challenge. But HIS chose to embrace this unease with warmth, opening up countless warm “first times” for him—
In class, he was able to keep up with the rhythm steadily for the first time, finally being able to “calm down and study earnestly,” making steady progress in the ocean of knowledge.
For the first time, he exchanged gifts at the Christmas Carnival and mustered up the courage to give chocolate to his senior sister.
For the first time, he stepped onto the stage and sang the Italian part in the class’s trilingual version of “Jingle Bells”…
That was his first voice here, and also the beginning of a soul being truly seen.
When the once low-spirited boy found that he had “fully integrated into this warm big family” at the end of the year, the foundation of growth had quietly taken root in the soil of acceptance.
Standing Firm in Applause
In junior high school, Mattia began to define his identity in the warmth of the group.
For the first time, he celebrated his birthday at school, sharing pizza and cake with his classmates — liveliness and joy became the simplest form of warmth.
In the “Who is the Speed Typing King” competition, he advanced all the way to the final, competing with senior students. After the competition, he felt guilty for “not winning glory for the class,” but the comfort from his classmates made him realize that what mattered was not victory or defeat, but the steady support of being held up by a group.
It was also then that he put on a hand-painted pink T-shirt and took a group photo with a heart sign at the anti-school bullying activity. He understood: pink is not just a color, but a stance — here, “your differences are our strength.”
At the end of the semester, he stood on the podium as an outstanding student representative. Looking back years later, he said: “I was so nervous when I stepped onto the stage that my feet were shaking, and I could only read word by word carefully.” In response, he received encouraging applause from all teachers and students. At that moment, a sense of belonging grew into unshakable self-confidence.
In the third year of junior high, he participated in the filming of the anti-school bullying microfilm “The Courage to Be Disliked,” conveying the power of opposing bullying through the camera.
Every moment shared with classmates and teachers during junior high school became a vivid chapter in Mattia’s story of belonging — proof that no matter where you come from, warmth can be found here.
When Pressure Becomes the Soil for Growth
Entering high school, the theme of growth shifted from “adaptation” to “shaping.” IGCSE, AS exams, IELTS… Academic pressure arrived as expected. Mattia admitted: “Anxiety always lingered in my mind.”
However, at HIS, pressure is not an enemy to escape, but energy that can be harnessed. True resilience is forged in balancing multiple challenges.
At the Sports Meeting, with no prior experience, he learned a dance in five days and delivered a stunning debut.
Wuhan Study Tour: The aroma of hot dry noodles and the grandeur of Yellow Crane Tower became vivid notes of his personal experience of Chinese culture.
Drama Festival: He took on the important role of the young “Mao Zedong,” feeling “both shocked and nervous,” but gave it his all. In the end, he not only successfully portrayed the character but also gained a profound understanding of history and responsibility.
Pressure never overwhelmed him; instead, it expanded the dimensions of his life. This is the core of “holistic education” — while climbing the academic ladder, a complete personality quietly takes shape through in-depth experiences of art, history, and society.
At the opening ceremony of the second semester of Grade 10 in the 2023–2024 academic year, he appeared calmly as a host; in the Spelling Bee competition, Grade 10 Tennis Competition, and Ivy League International School Olympics Regional Competition, he constantly challenged himself and pushed his limits.
In the Grade 10 Eco-Education Park Run, he ran with his classmates, practicing the concept of “HIS EMBRACE CHINA, EMBRACE THE WORLD”; at the High School Principal’s Dinner, he talked about growth with teachers and classmates; in 2023, he was awarded “Outstanding School-Level Student” for his excellent performance and also gained honors in the Grade 10 Chinese Bridge Competition.
Becoming a "Bridge" Between Cultures
This is Mattia’s sixth and final year at HIS.
At the Halloween Costume Competition, he went from “finding it troublesome” to being pushed onto the stage and unexpectedly won an award.
On December 10th, he quietly celebrated the 5th anniversary of his enrollment.
At his last Drama Festival, as the only contestant from his class, he took on the leading role of the poet Li Bai, winning the second prize and being honored with the titles of “Best Actor” and “Best Director.”
Most impressive was his debut performance in Shaoxing Opera. The learning process had its easy moments and challenges, but “since taking on the task, he refused to give up halfway.”
When he stood on the stage as a cross-cultural individual, accurately conveying the charm of traditional Chinese opera and receiving thunderous applause and cheers from the audience, what we saw was not only a student’s talent but also the confidence and brilliance of a young person who has grown up in the multicultural soil of HIS, seamlessly connecting China and the West.
Now, as graduation approaches, he is fully committed to the final sprint of his university applications.
The boy who once felt low because of boarding school has grown into a Super Star who moves freely on various stages. In Mattia’s suitcase, there are not only excellent academic results but also what he has gained in six years:
- Courage to face the unknown
- Empathy to care for others
- Confidence in cross-cultural expression
- Inner drive for lifelong growth
His light began with that warm embrace six years ago. And HIS’s consistent mission is to gently yet firmly catch every child’s “first step” and accompany them until they shine brightly in their own ways.
As the graduation bell is about to ring, we look back on a boy’s six-year transformation and deeply believe that the strength accumulated at HIS is enough to let him step confidently onto any stage in the world.
and to every one of you
who is writing your own story at HIS
