Discover Hangzhou International School

For me, success has never been about the prestige of the university. It has always been about fit. The greatest joy comes from witnessing students find the place where they truly belong – where their personalities, values, and cultures align with the university they will soon call home. And in 2026, we have seen so many of our students do exactly that. The Hangzhou International School Class of 2026, altogether 41 graduates, were accepted to 235 universities in 14 countries, with almost USD 1 million awarded in scholarship money.

When people reflect on school, they often talk about achievements first. Grades, awards, competition results, leadership positions — the measurable things. Those are the moments that appear on report cards and university applications, so naturally they seem important. For a long time, I thought those things were the clearest proof of growth too. I believed improvement would look obvious: better results, bigger accomplishments, clearer evidence that I was becoming more capable than before. Looking back now, I think I misunderstood what growth actually feels like.

On International Children’s Day, June 1, Hangzhou International School (HIS) took a meaningful step forward in its commitment to inclusion, signing a Special Olympics Unified Schools partnership agreement with Hangzhou Yanglingzi School. The visit brought together the President of Special Olympics East Asia, Ms Freda Fung, alongside HIS leaders, staff, and students for a day of shared experiences and forward-looking collaboration.