John says learning is all about balance

When John first arrived from China, he was struck by how clean and less crowded Perth was in comparison. After the hustle and bustle of Xi'an, living near the bush and sea was very nice, indeed.

That was eight years ago. Today, the 13-year-old is thoroughly enjoying his second year at high school and life in Western Australia.

“Learning is much more enjoyable in Australia because there is far less stress and worries – it is more focused on letting kids play and learn by themselves,” he said.  “I won lots of awards for English and maths in primary school. Learning English was hard at first but the more I used the language, the more fluent I became.”

John has also learnt that being ‘smart’ in Australia requires not only academic but sporting abilities, as well. “I hated swimming lessons at school and I couldn’t even pass a stage until I realised that in Australia, swimming was necessary as this country is surrounded by water,” he said. “Mum signed me up for holiday lessons and I started to love swimming once I passed four stages in two weeks. I feel that being talented at sports also brings more knowledge naturally. It is very important to be a ‘well-rounded’ human being.”

This approach has enabled John to achieve much in his young life, including winning an International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) medal for achieving the highest score in computer skills in the State in Year 4 and participating in the PEAC Night of the Notables.

“I was presented the ICAS medal at Government House and it made me want to see what else I could do to unleash my full potential,” he said. “I was really happy to have attended the PEAC extension classes as I did things I never expected like Night of the Notables where I pretended to be China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, and presented research, etc.”

However, his proudest achievement was his community project in Year 6. He reached his goal of collecting 400 toys and books for sick children. “It made the kids and nurses very happy, got on the cover of the local newspaper and I received a wonderful letter from St John of God Hospital, which I still remember today.”