From Hong Wen to Toronto to Philadelphia: A Journey Forged by Challenge, Curiosity, and Community

From AP courses to robotics labs, basketball courts to international research—this Hong Wen alum’s journey is one of relentless curiosity, grit, and growth.
 

Now headed to the University of Pennsylvania for a master’s in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, he reflects on how Hong Wen shaped the foundation for every step forward.
 

From Hong Wen to Toronto to Philadelphia: A Journey Forged by Challenge, Curiosity, and Community I still remember my first week at Hong Wen International School: a freshly pressed uniform, a backpack heavier than I was, and the conviction that sheer effort would carry me anywhere. It has—but only after testing every assumption I ever held about talent, grit, and resilience.
 

My teachers never offered easy victories. Whether we were dissecting Shakespearean irony in English or unraveling multi-step integrals in calculus, they raised the bar each time we cleared it. That rigor—equal parts daunting and exhilarating—taught me disciplined study habits and, even more important, the courage to speak up when answers weren’t obvious.

Hong Wen’s strengths, however, extended well beyond the classroom. The school hosted a vibrant range of clubs that enriched our daily lives, and—best of all—allowed students to build their own timetables so we could choose courses aligned with our future goals. This flexibility let me double-down on subjects I excelled in while sampling electives that would later prove invaluable for my university major. In other words, Hong Wen gave me both depth and runway.

I loaded my schedule with AP courses—Calculus, Computer Science, Physics, Statistics, Chemistry, and more—building a deep foundation in quantitative thinking. Beyond the classroom, I joined the basketball team for the thrill of competition and the lessons of teamwork under pressure. Tight losses taught me to handle disappointment with grace; hard-fought wins reminded me to stay humble. No textbook could replicate those lessons in leadership.

By senior year the acceptance letters arrived. Several U.S. universities beckoned, but none felt precisely right. Instead, I chose the University of Toronto to study Computer Engineering—a decision that surprised some friends yet felt perfect to me.

Toronto broadened my world from the moment I stepped onto St. George Street. Lecture halls became miniature United Nations gatherings, and in that melting pot my high-school sparks of curiosity burst into flame. I plunged into the Artificial Intelligence Club, losing track of nights in code sprints and ethical debates. The Robotics Association became a second home; nothing equals the rush of watching a robot you designed conquer its first maze. Research collaborations carried me to conferences from New York to California, where I traded ideas with scholars whose papers I had cited only months earlier.

Those opportunities existed because Hong Wen had instilled a habit of pushing beyond comfort zones. That habit helped me complete a demanding engineering curriculum—plus minors in AI and robotics—in under four years. When deadlines converged, I leaned on the persistence forged on Hong Wen’s basketball court and in countless physics problem sets.

Now a new chapter opens in Philadelphia, where I will pursue a master’s in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science at the University of Pennsylvania. The prospect thrills me: tougher courses, a vast research ecosystem, and a city steeped in innovation history. Yet my guiding principle remains unchanged: find work that excites you enough to keep going when obstacles multiply.

Benjamin Franklin, Penn’s most famous founder, captured this mindset perfectly: “Energy and persistence conquer all things.” That maxim echoes through every stage of my journey—late-night study marathons, 2 a.m. robotics debugging sessions, and long flights to meet experts across the continent. Each effort is a deposit in an account that keeps compounding.

If Hong Wen taught me how to learn, Toronto showed me where learning can take you. Philadelphia will reveal how far that trajectory can extend. I move forward knowing the challenges ahead will only refine the person Hong Wen first began shaping.

To the teachers who demanded clarity in my essays, precision in my proofs, and integrity on and off the court—thank you. Your expectations became my internal compass. To students standing where I once stood: embrace every difficult assignment, every unfamiliar culture, every late-night brainstorm. Those moments will sculpt the professional and citizen you have yet to imagine.

I am deeply grateful for the foundation I built at Hong Wen and proud to carry its legacy into each new arena. The journey is far from over, but thanks to the knowledge, discipline, and community that began in one high-school classroom, I’m ready for whatever comes next.



（Image Source：Hong Wen International School）