From "Hello" To "I'm Fine": A New HIS Student's Confession and Blossoming
Proud, an 11th-grade student from Thailand, stepped onto the stage and, with sincere and moving words, recounted her true journey at HIS — from anxiety to acceptance, from trepidation to blossoming.
A Story Worth Telling
Before I begin my speech, I have a confession to make. A week ago, when I was told that I had been chosen to give a speech at the upcoming meeting, the first thing I did was pick up my phone, open ChatGPT, and enter the prompt, “Write me a script about my experience at my new school. Make it sound human.” Two seconds later, I had my response. As I skimmed through it, ready to copy and paste it, a realisation came to me. An amazing opportunity had been handed to me. Was I really going to waste it on an AI generated response? I’m sure I can do better than that. So brace yourself as I bring you on a trip down memory lane, back to the 1st of September of 2025. The day that marked the beginning of my journey at HIS.
It was a sunny day, very hot actually, just like it is back in Bangkok. I remember so vividly as my parents and sister were helping me unpack and get settled into my new dorm, I sat there on my new bed crying. I was overwhelmed, terrified, already missing my parents, and felt waves of homesickness crashing over me.
The first day of school came. I got to my seat and sat there trembling. I didn’t know who to talk to, where to put my hands, if I should force out a smile or stay completely still, hoping no one would notice me. I’m sure a few new students could relate to that experience.
Well, I took small baby steps, making one friend at a time, building up the courage to say hi to more people in the hallway, and expanding the dictionary of people’s names in my head. Those awkward introductions led to more fruitful conversations, concepts in class that were once hard to grasp were slowly broken down into more digestible bits of knowledge, countless times of laughing with my friends to the point where our bodies were physically hurting, and growing closer to a lot of you sitting in the audience.
The Experiences That Shaped Me at HIS
Beyond that, being in HIS has fostered my growth in so many different ways — from encouraging me to take on leadership roles like becoming the vice president of the Language Support Club, to giving me the space to leap out of my comfort zone by hosting my first MC event in Chinese, being a part of the 30 students who represented the school at Model United Nations, and participating in school activities such as the spelling bee, the Wicked-themed trivia competition, the Secret Santa gift exchange at Christmas, and standing here today sharing my experiences with all of you. Each of these moments has taught me something different, shaping me into the person I am today.
Aside from that, in just the span of two months, I was able to take the HSK 5 test and achieve a score that exceeded my own expectations, thanks to the school’s immersive language environment. Along with an 8 in IELTS, which goes to show my simultaneous improvement across both languages.
Every moment, every memory, every experience — no matter how big or small, the good or the bad — each one representing a piece of a jigsaw puzzle being pieced together, painting a mosaic of my life. What my experience here has taught me is that no matter how scary the beginning may be, hang in there. Keep showing up for yourself, even when things feel out of place. Open yourself up to the opportunities that have found their way over to you, and live through all the emotions.
Looking back on the last semester, I realise that none of this growth would have been possible without the people around me. So thank you to all the teachers for being more than just instructors, for your constant guidance and support. Thank you to my friends and classmates for making this journey such an unforgettable ride. And a special thank you to Penny, who has meant so much more to me than just a homeroom teacher — the one who believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.
Keep showing up for yourself.
