Chenyi Ding: Our IB Student of the Month

One such individual who has demonstrated the above is Chenyi Ding aka Charly. He is a current senior at our International School who constantly fosters a congenial and creative environment which offers plenty of room for learning and friendships amongst him and his peers. Charly chooses to compliment others rather than to put them down. He offers a helping hand instead of throwing up barriers. He promotes growth in place of stagnation. He is the Institut Montana Zugerberg student. 

 

As Dr. Anne Faassen, our IB Diploma Programme Coordinator, puts it, “Charly is kind, cheerful, motivated, helpful, curious, a role model, considerate, independent, easy going and confident. I know this list is quite extensive, but that’s because so many glowing terms come to mind when I think of him. I am beyond honoured to have had him as a student over these past two years. He expresses sincere interest and is fully engaged in class. Not only that, but he also stimulates further discussion on controversial issues that keeps everyone on their toes. He was a great Extended Essay (EE) candidate, possibly the easiest I ever had, as he always wanted to conduct his own research independently and required very little guidance.” 

 

One of the class advisors for our International School, Erin Evans, noted, “Charly is fantastic. He works diligently in every class period to get 7’s on his assessments. He is engaged and motivated and brings that to other students when they need help on their assignments. He is the definition of prime work ethic.” 

 

Last but not least, Ms. Dipali Lehmann, our IB CAS Coordinator, expressed that “Charly has been one of the most conscientious CAS student I have ever had. His reflections are always thoughtful, insightful and a real pleasure to read. During our CAS trip to Armenia, where we took care of underprivileged children, he proved himself to be an empathetic, extremely open-minded, conscientious, respectful and a hardworking student. Charly did his utmost to interact with the children at the camp, overcoming the language barrier by being very approachable, kind and friendly. Despite the rigid schedule, continuous social interaction and the strenuous physical work, I never once heard Charly complain. In fact, he seemed to have travelled to Armenia with only one goal in mind – to do whatever he could to make the children smile.” 

 

Upon reflecting during his time in Armenia, Charly said, “I have certainly gained a deeper understanding about people living in poor conditions, and yet despite this, they tend to be more mature because of having to endure various hardships, often tragic ones. They are more understanding, adorable and most importantly, they have a very pure heart. Their mindset might be simple, but original and clean, I have not seen or felt this in years. Another thing I learned is that when you are in a different culture, try your best to adapt to that culture, especially when it involves religion. I might not understand a thing we did in the chapel or any word I heard during the prayers before and after meals, but I still respected their routine. All in all, myself and my classmates tried our best to respect their culture and way of life, something that everyone should do. After all, respect is the foundation for being open-minded and more understanding of others. Utilise your abilities and create harmony among all the members in the group to have a better experience and achieve common goals.”