Hanyu Shen

An International Student's Declaration of Independence

As an international school student, Shen has to fight against a stereotype: her education was a “shortcut bought with money.” Her anecdote of a family dinner where her uncle said her path was not difficult enough shows her struggle. While it’s true that her day ends early, she has to deal with TOEFL prep, Shakespeare essay-writing, club leadership, and the struggle of self-definition outside of a standardized test. Her talk is a manifesto of sorts: instead of avoiding the stereotype, she shows that international students are not avoiding the struggle but are actually taking an “open-ended test” of self-definition and balance. “Like a duck on water, I appear serene on the surface, but my feet are paddling furiously underwater.” Her request: not to be pitied but to be seen. A current Grade-11 student in Minhang Crosspoint Academy. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx