At YCIS, success is not measured solely by acceptance letters. It is reflected in the lives students choose to lead. For the Cheng siblings, Enoch, Hannah, and Amos, their time at YCIS laid more than an academic foundation. It instilled a sense of purpose, a spirit of service, and a global perspective that continues to guide their journeys long after graduation.

Amos Cheng: The Engineer with a Heart

This year, Amos Cheng reached a significant milestone in a family story already rich with achievement: receiving an early offer from Stanford University. Yet for Amos, this acceptance represents more than an academic accolade. It is a gateway to a future defined by impact.

“I hope to be helping communities gain better access to reliable and sustainable energy, especially in places where it’s still a daily challenge,” he shares. This vision has been years in the making. As a YCIS student, Amos achieved academic excellence, earning recognition as a finalist for the SCMP’s Student of the Year Grand Prize and winning awards in competitions including the China National Economics Challenge and numerous STEAM fields. However, his true passion was ignited outside the classroom.

Driven by a commitment to sustainability, Amos co-founded the Eco Humanitarian Advocates. He led schoolwide recycling initiatives and organised campaigns to support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. His dedication extended far beyond campus through service trips to rural communities in Yunnan and Nepal, where he worked alongside locals to install solar-powered lighting systems.

“The most memorable moments weren't just about seeing dark rooms brighten with new light,” Amos recalls, “but witnessing the pure joy in the eyes of children and adults as their daily lives were transformed.”

His hands-on experience and thoughtful advocacy earned him a platform on the international stage. Last year, Amos was invited as a keynote speaker at the ESG Xchange 2025 International Summit, where he shared his vision for sustainable engineering. Throughout his journey, YCIS provided a supportive environment where his creativity and conviction could flourish.

As a passionate sports enthusiast, Amos is equally devoted to music, having earned multiple awards in the field. He has been an active participant in various school musical productions, including the original work Mother's Legacy (《承傳》). Reflecting on his personal growth, Amos shares that performing in these productions, particularly Mother's Legacy, taught him to step beyond his comfort zone “The lessons I learned, like finding my voice and working collaboratively, have branched out into everything I do,” he says. For Amos, YCIS was where he learned that true leadership means serving others.

Hannah Cheng: Bridging Worlds at Stanford

Hannah, the middle sibling, paved the way to Stanford with a quiet confidence rooted in her YCIS experience. Calm and steadfast while remaining lively and cheerful, she possesses an innovative, change-driven mindset and the true spirit of a servant leader. Admitted in 2024, she entered university not as a newcomer to challenge, but as someone prepared to thrive within it.

Her time at YCIS equipped her with more than academic readiness. Through leadership roles in various student associations such as Head Prefect and House Captain, Hannah developed the empathetic and bridge-building skills that define her today. She learned to mediate conflicts, connect across cultures, and lead with humility. These are the same skills she now naturally applies as a leader in Stanford’s collaborative and dynamic environment in student organisations such as business and entrepreneurship societies, dance groups, and a cappella ensembles. “I was already used to being in environments where excellence was the norm, not the exception,” she says.

Yew Chung curriculum sharpened her ability to think critically and approach ideas with curiosity. "Growing up in such an intercultural environment trained me to see problems from multiple perspectives," Hannah notes. This mindset enabled her to offer constructive insights, propose new ideas, and collaborate with classmates, which led to her teacher presenting her with the Film Festival Winner award. She now applies this same perspective to enrich her contributions in classroom discussions and group projects at Stanford.

Looking back, Hannah observes, “YCIS didn't just prepare me to succeed academically among high-achieving peers. I learned how to maintain high standards and manage my time effectively under pressure. It prepared me to thrive as a grounded, adaptable, and empathetic individual in demanding environments like Stanford.”

Enoch Cheng: From Perfect Scorer to Mentor

As the eldest, Enoch Cheng set a formidable standard. A perfect scorer in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, he now excels in a competitive double degree programme at the University of Toronto. For Enoch, his academic edge was forged at YCIS through the rigorous Secondary curriculum, which he says taught him sustainable excellence.

"YCIS taught the skills needed to have sustainable high performance. I didn't just learn to work long hours; I learned how to manage my energy, knowing when to 'deep-dive' into a complex proof and when to pivot to stay efficient," Enoch explained.

Enoch credits YCIS’s holistic education for the versatility that sets him apart. His participation in diverse activities, from sports to science competitions, taught him to analyse complex systems. He applied this skill to secure a highly selective first-year analyst position in a top student-run finance fund.

Beyond academics, YCIS cultivated in him a strong sense of cultural intelligence. In a university cohort representing over twenty nationalities, Enoch felt prepared to build connections across backgrounds, turning global diversity into a collaborative strength. Today, as the Vice President of Academics for the Quantitative Finance Student Association, he mentors younger students and embodies the school’s ethos of leadership through service. “YCIS didn’t just teach me how to join a high-achieving community; it taught me how to lead one,” Enoch said.

A Shared Foundation, Individual Paths

The Cheng siblings' journey, from the Infant and Toddler Learning Programme through to Year 13 graduation, powerfully demonstrates the impact of a continuous and consistent educational pathway. Their sustained development at YCIS reinforced core values at every stage: a growth mindset, a collaborative spirit, and a global perspective.

This through train education equipped Enoch with resilience, Hannah with sociability, and Amos with a drive for compassionate innovation. Together, they exemplify how YCIS prepares students not only for admission to leading universities but also for a lifetime of meaningful contribution to the global community.

As Amos prepares to join Hannah at Stanford, and Enoch continues to shape the future of finance, they carry forward a legacy of leadership that began in the halls of YCIS. Their story stands as a testament to an education that prepares students not just for university, but for a life of purpose.

Inspired by the Cheng family’s story? Learn more about how YCIS nurtures holistic, globally minded leaders. Contact our admissions office to discover the YCIS difference.