Dan Li joined the founding team of UWC Changshu China in June, 2014. She is currently teaching IBDP Mandarin ab initio and Chinese Study course while leading different co-curricular activities. She also serves as a student's crew leader and house mentor. Dan has been accredited by the IBO as an examiner in the subject of Mandarin ab initio. 

Dan was selected to teach IBDP Mandarin ab initio at Red Cross Nordic UWC in Norway in 2008.  She continued to study in Oslo University, Norway and received her MA in Comparative and International Education. 

Dan wrote this piece for the class of 2017 upon their graduation out of her love for her students and for UWC.

Preparing my notebook and pen, and listening to the rhythm of the falling rain, I am finally in the mood to write my own reflections of the past years of my UWC experience, a task which is long overdue. During the past few days, I avoided talking about the graduation or about you, the first graduating class. It was not until you left the school, one after another, that I could calm down and put my thoughts into words, to indulge in my memory, to ponder about the future.

Three years ago in the summer, I resolutely left my leisurely life in Norway, came back to China and joined the founding team of UWC Changshu, China. My friends could not understand and my family berated me for making such a move, but I knew for certain that I had to honor a promise. In May 2010, at the graduation ceremony of UWC Red Cross Nordic, I promised that I would continue to study and aim to be a competent and good teacher. Ever since then, I have been working towards this goal.  Four years later, when I heard that a group of UWC alumni had been devoting themselves for many years to promote the missions and values of UWC education in the mainland of China, I knew it was time to go home, to fulfill my promise, and to contribute to the UWC endeavor which I have loved so deeply.

Founding team members of UWC Changshu China (Fourth on the left in the first row is Dan Li)

During the first year of preparation, I witnessed how our campus was built, how UWC Changshu China became an official member of the UWC movement, and how the first Chinese yew was planted. There were also countless other firsts: the first time holding an information session in a small town in the remote area in the north west of China, the first time organizing the orientation for new UWCers who were sent abroad, the first time interviewing during selection day, the first time sending out an admission letter, and even the first time tasting the hairy crabs on the celebration party…… Finally, we met all of you, 128 lovely students from more than fifty different countries at the bank of beautiful Kuncheng Lake. Like many other teachers, I burst into tears on the first opening ceremony. At that moment, I realized that all of my efforts had paid off. Only those who went through everything could possibly understand how much work had been put done to make this common UWC dream come true.

First study tour of the founding members of the Chinese Programme Team in 2015 From Left to Right: Dan Li; Ping Li, Vice Principal; Hua Ma, Dean of Co-curriculum 

In the next two years, I grew up with each and every one of you. One of our alumna said that UWC is a school from which you could never graduate. To me, UWC is also a school where teachers could never stop learning, as I always learn more than I give away. In these two years, I witnessed not only how all of you excelled in academics, but also how you learnt to embrace the world, care for and love your peers, have the courage to undertake challenges, and become responsible and kind citizens.

With students upon the opening of the School

Although it is true that the heavy pressure of the IB curriculum can often leave you in a state of distress, I am delighted to see that your capability and potential are well beyond what we ever imagined. You have learnt not only the beauty of Shakespeare's rhetoric and the impeccability of Aristotle's logic, but also the critical thinking and spirit of judgment engraved within philosophy and literature. What you have harvested is more than the knowledge of Euclid's geometry, Newton's Three Law of Motion, and Mendeleev's Periodic Table of Elements, but also the persistence behind science and experimentation, and the courage and confidence to apply your knowledge in real life. You have mastered not only the wisdom in Adam Smith's The Wealth of Nations and Rousseau's The Social Contract, but also the method of logical analysis and the ability to make changes for the progress of our society. What you have appreciated is not only the Expressionism of Munch, the Post-Impressionism of Vincent Van Gogh, and the classical compositions of Mozart, but also the blending of art, tradition, and emotion, and the dedication, kindness, sincerity, and social servitude that bring happiness to others……

In this big UWC family, many became friends with those who differ in color, culture and religion, even those with different political views. Many no longer show indifference to the war in Syria, or the epidemic of Ebola. Many became interested in improving the environment, both in the wetlands and in the community. Many stopped complaining about the air pollution in China, the nuclear radiation in Japan…but became active members in the MUN and Global Issues Forum to find solutions to problems. You formed clubs that care for childhood autism and Chinese artifacts workshop, and many others that showcase your kindness and caring for others. Thus, we started to witness your involvement in animal protection, teaching in the remote areas, raising funds for disaster relief and building houses for the poor. 

Teaching in Hubei Siyuan School as volunteers

Some would say that UWC has created a unique environment, brought out your untapped potential to take actions towards a better society and a better world, but I would like to say that it is you who shaped the tradition of UWC. You have grown stronger while fulfilling the obligations as global citizens.

The two year UWC life is very short, but in most UWCers' minds, the experience in UWC is the most valuable asset in our lives. This is not only true for UWC students, but also for me. I can still remember the first time I went abroad at the age of 25, which was also the first time I used English as the tool for communication. I became a UWC teacher without much preparation. How lucky I am! I cannot forget how embarrassed I was when old students thought I was one of the new students while new students thought I was an old student. I cannot forget the words poorly hand written on the blackboard “We love our teacher!” in Chinese by my students. I cannot forget the birthday song the whole school sang for me in the canteen. I cannot forget the generous international donation from our teachers and students when an earthquake hit Qinghai Province. I cannot forget the first time I skied, the first Christmas, the first time I quarreled with students because of different political view. Yet the most unforgettable part of my UWC experience was the same graduation in May, full of happiness and tears…...

Students arranged a birthday celebration for me

If I was still immature during that two years of UWC life in Norway, then the past two years at Changshu have made me stronger. My growth is in large part thanks to the first graduating class of UWC Changshu China. You accompanied me during my journey to fulfill my promise. These sweet memories I described, seem the same but also different.  Those are the reasons for me to try my best no matter which UWC I am working for, because I have never wavered, hesitated or given up my belief. It is the ideal I want to pursue and pass on to my students, my kids, parents and educators who share the same belief, in the years and decades to come. If education only has one ultimate goal, it should be to be true to yourself, to be honest and kind, to be grateful and appreciative of the beauty of life, and to be able to serve others.

And as I reflect on that goal, I vividly recall that time you went around advocating for the right of little animals. You had used your extracurricular time to do research and made sophisticated posters. You had arranged hiking events with one another to publicize the knowledge of animal protection along the way. The intense heat of Mt Yushan in the June is intolerable, but you still carried onwards, though face reddened under the blazing sun. Whenever someone walked by us, we would persuade them to stop to listen to our animal protection stories. We also stood in a line, telling those who went by us with our slogans and our own efforts,“We do care!”That day, we became a majestic view of Mt Yushan .

Calling for the protection of animals on Mt Yushan    

That day, we have seen others looked at us with disbelief, misunderstanding and even a bit of contempt. But we carried on our work with ease, with confidence and with belief. We advanced with triumphant cheers! I understood, it's those golden hearts that support you throughout the entire process with their love. You have saved your pocket money for the medical expense of the homeless puppies and kittens, to look for a new family for them. In the severe cold of the winter, you have cleaned out a tidy home for the kittens and dogs at the Suzhou Animal Protection Shelter. You have also fed and tidied these little creatures as well. You have also written the proposals for the reorganization of slaughter house for poultry and livestock and recommended it to the government…...Not everyone cares about these minor details, but those who care remains a considerable number, and you should be proud of your impact.

I believe, the kids who graduate from UWC and their kids, their descendants, are those that would maintain a virtuous heart, the virtue that serves for everything in the universe. For myself, I have already taken the challenge again and I'm ready to begin my journey for the next two years. Are you also prepared to strive for a better future? Also, what about those who graduated from UWC Red Cross Nordic? Do you still remember the pledge "Keep working hard whenever and wherever you are"? In this world, I believe, there are always some people who are so committed to their goals that they seem to be "crazy".

With my Crew of the Graduating Class of 2017 

As I am about to end my writing, the rain has already stopped. I no longer feel sad and sentimental. The words of one of my friends come to my mind: 'you are flying towards a destination far away', but what I have harvested is the future.

Translation: Iris Wu, Dule, Alice Zhang, Irvy Yu, Emma Wu

Editor: Max Pfingsten