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畢業(yè)生 · 2025

很快，啟明星2025屆高中畢業(yè)生就要離開校園，奔向?qū)儆谧约旱牡缆?。在老師們眼中，這是“特別忠于自己內(nèi)心”的一屆學(xué)生——他們篤定未來的方向，并且很努力，最終取得了傲人的成績！

篇幅有限，今年《畢業(yè)生》欄目，我們將介紹其中的3位，當(dāng)然，其他孩子也像他們一樣，可愛、真誠，我們祝福他們！

白羽梵 / Fanny Bai

? 8年級從公立學(xué)校轉(zhuǎn)入啟明星

? 收獲美國薩凡納藝術(shù)設(shè)計學(xué)院、朱尼亞塔文理學(xué)院、英國創(chuàng)意藝術(shù)大學(xué)、芝加哥哥倫比亞學(xué)院、猶他大學(xué)等大學(xué)的漫畫、敘事藝術(shù)或視覺藝術(shù)專業(yè)的錄取通知書

熟悉Fanny的人都知道，她不是很愛說話。

然而，當(dāng)我們請她把成長經(jīng)歷分享出來，讓更多人了解藝術(shù)學(xué)生在啟明星的“日子”，她說了好多——

先要放松下來

來啟明星之前，F(xiàn)anny上的是一所挺卷的公立學(xué)校。漸漸的，她身體吃不消了。媽媽說：“你得休息一下?！?/p>

于是，她干脆在家過了一個間隔年。這一年里，她邊調(diào)整狀態(tài)邊找學(xué)校，同時還“異常多”地畫畫——畫畫是她從小的熱愛，也是她消磨時間的方法。

Fanny最喜歡的畫家是日本的高木直子和美國的摩西奶奶?！拔蚁矚g她們那種風(fēng)格，干凈、簡單，反映的是真實生活的細(xì)節(jié)?！?/p>

摩西奶奶、高木直子的畫作

大約也是這樣的喜好把她推來了啟明星——這里沒有高大上的樓宇，但誰都能彼此認(rèn)識的社區(qū)規(guī)模讓她覺得真實、可靠。

她終于從之前并不適合自己的賽道中退出來，有了更多心力做自己想做的事情，包括寫作、畫畫，還有追星。

“打開”自己

Fanny說，讓她真正在繪畫中“打開”自己、砸實了學(xué)畫的決心，是在10年級。

“之前學(xué)畫就是畫素描畫水彩，練習(xí)的都是技法，但Anna老師讓我們做自己的東西。她說，你隨便想。我一下就懵了，不知道要畫什么?！盕anny說。

Anna老師是教了Fanny4年的視覺藝術(shù)老師。她雖然應(yīng)用常規(guī)的IBMYP美術(shù)教學(xué)法引導(dǎo)學(xué)生學(xué)習(xí)，但她以極大的熱情感染和支持著學(xué)生，讓他們在藝術(shù)表達上找到獨屬于自己的“聲音”。

“她幫我‘打開’了自己，做出完整的作品?！盕anny說。

到12年級IBDP視覺藝術(shù)課畢業(yè)展覽，F(xiàn)anny拿出了自己滿意的作品，Anna老師特地趕來一起慶祝。

Anna老師（左三）、白羽梵（右一）和同學(xué)們在展覽現(xiàn)場

最滿意的2件作品

IBDP視覺藝術(shù)課畢業(yè)展上，有2件Fanny自己最滿意的作品。

一個是畫作《恨》，一個是動態(tài)的漫畫《被忽視的地方們》 。

《恨》記錄了Fanny從小到大討厭的100個人物。有網(wǎng)絡(luò)上騙了她零花錢的社會人，有故意開車顛簸她奶奶的巴士司機，有信誓旦旦要包裝她進藤校的中介……

一般來說，大家都愿意公開自己溫暖、善良的內(nèi)心，而避免讓自己顯得挑剔、記恨。而Fanny挺勇敢、挺直白。

“生活里不全是正能量，我想記錄真實的生活?！?/strong>她說。

《被忽視的地方們》記錄的分別是啟明星校園和她家小區(qū)的俯瞰視角。其中的一些場景在現(xiàn)實中并不存在，一些又是真實存在卻容易被大家忽略的。Fanny把記憶和現(xiàn)實整合在同一個作品里，實現(xiàn)了維度的交疊。

大學(xué)升學(xué)指導(dǎo)總監(jiān)Melissa Warehall老師這樣評價Fanny：“對生活的表達很尖銳?！?，也由此輔導(dǎo)她找到特別適合的專業(yè)方向：漫畫和敘事性的藝術(shù)表達。

找到這樣“合身”的專業(yè)，F(xiàn)anny的爸爸媽媽特別高興。媽媽三川玲老師是一位有著百萬粉絲的教育博主，她興奮得在公號上連發(fā)了好幾篇文章！

每節(jié)課都很有成就感

Fanny說，其實切換賽道專注藝術(shù)，學(xué)業(yè)的壓力也一直都在，不學(xué)懂學(xué)通，就做不了作業(yè)，也過不了評估（考試），好在學(xué)習(xí)的方式“比較好”，學(xué)的東西是有用的。

她特別提到兩位老師，一位是英文老師兼拓展論文協(xié)調(diào)員Joseph Bartholomew（Mr. B） ，一位是中文老師楊紅嫻（Sandy）。

“Mr. B 上課的時候很幽默，給我們幫助也很大。他監(jiān)督我們寫拓展論文，我有藝術(shù)和哲學(xué)問題，他也會給我解答。Sandy老師，我覺得她教的太扎實了。她對教學(xué)很有規(guī)劃，也特別有調(diào)理。一堂課下來，我覺得能學(xué)到特別多東西，每節(jié)課都很有成就感。”

現(xiàn)在，F(xiàn)anny決定了去薩凡納藝術(shù)設(shè)計學(xué)院，那里孕育了《辛普森一家》的創(chuàng)作者馬特·格勒寧、普利策漫畫創(chuàng)作獎得主Matt Davies。

總結(jié)自己成為今天的自己的經(jīng)驗，F(xiàn)anny說，我堅持了自己的熱愛，遇見了好老師，來到一個適合自己的學(xué)校。

“如果不是這樣，我應(yīng)該還在每天為成績煩惱。我會努力讓自己的成績不那么差，但就是挺普通的一個人?！彼f。

Class of 2025

Very soon, the Daystar Academy Class of 2025 will be leaving campus and embarking on their own journeys. In the eyes of our teachers, this is a class known for “being especially true to themselves”—they have a clear vision for the future, they work hard, and their accomplishments are amazing!

Due to space limitations, this year’s "Graduates" feature will highlight just three students. Of course, all our students are just as talented and genuine—we wish them all the best!

白羽梵 / Fanny Bai

? Transferred to Daystar Academy from a public school in 8th grade

? Accepted into Savannah College of Art and Design, Juniata College, University for the Creative Arts (UK), Columbia College Chicago, and the University of Utah for programs in comics, sequential art or visual art

Those who know Fanny well know she doesn’t talk much.

However, when we asked her to share her journey — to let more people understand what life is like for an art student at Daystar Academy — she had a lot to say.

First, You Have to Relax

Before joining Daystar, Fanny attended a highly competitive public school. Over time, it took a toll on her health. Her mom finally said, “You need to take a break.”

So she took a gap year at home, a time for both recovery and searching for a new school. During that year, she drew “a ton” — something she’s loved doing since childhood and a way for her to pass the time.

Fanny’s favorite artists are Naoko Takagi from Japan and Grandma Moses from the U.S. “I love their style — clean, simple, and reflective of the little details in real life.”

Art works of Grandma Moses and Naoko Takagi

This kind of aesthetic may have naturally led her to Daystar — not a campus filled with grand buildings, but a tightly-knit community where everyone knows each other. It felt real and dependable to her.

She finally stepped away from a track that didn’t suit her and had more energy to pursue what she truly cared about: drawing, writing, and even fangirling.

Opening Up

Fanny says it wasn’t until 10th grade that she truly opened up through her art and committed to the path of visual storytelling.

“Before that, I was just doing sketching and watercolor, focusing on techniques. But then Anna, my teacher, told us to create something of our own. She said, ‘Think of anything you want.’ I was completely lost.”

Anna was Fanny’s visual arts teacher for 4 years. While she followed the standard IBMYP art curriculum, she taught with great passion and provided deep support, helping students discover their own artistic voices.

“She helped me open up and create finished works,” Fanny says.

By 12th grade, during the IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition, Fanny presented work she was truly proud of — and Anna was there to celebrate with her.

Anna Zhu（third from the left）came to the IBDP Art Showcase to celebrate with the students.

Her Two Favorite Works

At the IBDP Visual Arts Exhibition, two pieces stood out as Fanny’s favorites:

One was a painting titled “Hatred”, and the other was an animated comic titled “Overlooked Places”.

“Hatred” documents 100 people who have made her angry throughout her life — from a scammer who stole her pocket money online to a bus driver who purposely jolted her grandma, and even an agent who falsely promised to get her into the Ivy League.

Most people like to showcase their kindness and avoid appearing bitter or resentful. But Fanny is brave and direct.

“Life isn’t always about positive energy. I want to record what’s real,” she says.

“Overlooked Places” presents aerial views of both the Daystar campus and her residential neighborhood. Some scenes are imaginary; others are real but easily ignored. Fanny blended memory and reality to create a multi-dimensional piece.

Daystar’s Head of College Counseling, Melissa Warehall, commented, “Her view of life is sharp and expressive.” This insight helped guide Fanny toward a fitting major: comics and sequential art.

Fanny’s parents were thrilled to see her find a field that truly fits. Her mother, Lingchuan San (San Chuanling), a well-known education blogger with over a million followers, even posted several articles celebrating her daughter’s path.

A Sense of Accomplishment

in Every Class

Fanny admits that even after switching to art, academic pressure never disappeared — if you don’t understand something, you can’t complete your work or pass assessments.

Fortunately, the way of learning at Daystar “really worked” for her, and what she studied felt meaningful.

She especially appreciates two teachers:

Joseph Bartholomew (Mr. B), her English teacher and Extended Essay coordinator. “He’s funny in class and super helpful. When I had questions related to art and philosophy, he helped me figure them out.”

Sandy Yang, her Chinese teacher. “Her teaching is really solid — very organized and well-structured. I learned so much in each class. Every lesson felt rewarding.”

Now, Fanny has decided to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design, the alma mater of The Simpsons creator Matt Groening and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Matt Davies.

Reflecting on how she became who she is today, Fanny says it came down to sticking with her passion, meeting great teachers, and finding the right school.

“If not for all this, I’d probably still be stressing over grades every day. I’d work hard to avoid bad scores, but I’d just be a very average person.”