Editor’s Note: In November of 2012, for the first time, JI awarded the highly coveted “Covidien Scholarship,” which covers up to 4 years of full tuition for any freshman who ranked the provincial top 30 in the national college entrance exams. The winners this year are Haobo Zhao, Yuening Zhang, and Xiaowen Zhang. They were interviewed recently to share their experience. 
Why JI
When asked about the reasons they chose JI, the three students listed JI’s innovative educational model, rich learning environment, and future career opportunities, among others.
Xiaowen Zhang from Chengdu remarked that JI’s all-English teaching environment and international atmosphere appeal to him. He is very interested in the JI-UM dual-degree program. He likes JI and hopes it will provide a platform for him to develop his potential.
Yuening Zhang from Shanghai concurs. Besides the 2+2 program and English environment, she is attracted by JI’s stringent Honor Code and emphasis on critical thinking and team spirit. She looks forward to an enriching university life and expects to learn what will benefit her throughout her life.
Haobo Zhao from Tianjin is enthusiastic about the JI student clubs. Upon arriving, he has already joined the JI Tennis Club and involved in development of JI students’ website. He expects to meet interesting people through student activities. He is excited about the challenges at JI.
Plans for the Four Years
The three students divert on their opinions on what is important in the coming 4 years.
Xiaowen Zhang considers the most important task in university to be finding himself: what he will become and what he will do in the future. Only when he defines his direction of life, can he strive for the goal. While searching for the answer, Xiaowen will work hard in building a solid foundation so he can go anywhere in the future.
Yuening Zhang aims to go beyond GPA. For her, university means not only academics but also extracurricular activities and friendship. She anticipates getting involved in various campus activities and foreign exchange programs to enrich her life in the university.
Haobo Zhao is a sports enthusiast. He plans to build a healthy body, make good friends, and absorb knowledge in the four years. If possible, he wants to attend all kinds of seminars in SJTU to broaden his horizon.
As to winning the scholarships, the three awardees are very humble. They all expressed their gratitude to JI and determined to pay back with great achievements.
