XIAMEN, ChinaMay 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The fourth TED-style speech event of the English Festival at Huashi Xiping Bilingual School (abbreviated as “Huaxi”) was held on April 30 at the school’s Art Center. With the theme “Light the Spark of Growth,” five students from kindergarten to high school took the stage to share their authentic growth experiences in English. The event was co-hosted by Huashi Xiping Bilingual School and Alpha International Education, an official TED licensee.
Five Students Share Stories of Growth
The five student speakers ranged in age from 6 to 16, covering four educational stages: kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, and high school.
Kindergarten student Chen Simi, with her speech titled “Let the World Light My Growth,” recounted her travel experiences from the age of one and a half in Inner Mongolia, Thailand, Singapore, and Vietnam, exploring how exploring the world has sparked her growth.
Elementary school student Lin Zhitao delivered a speech titled “Comics Are My Secret Safe Space for Growing up,” defending his hobby of comics and sharing how they help him relax, learn English, and inspire creativity.
Elementary school student Lian Jiayan, in her speech “You Don’t Have to Be Ready to Begin,” reflected on her experience of participating in a triathlon without any preparation and ultimately finishing second, emphasizing that action is more important than readiness.
Middle school student Zhang Daining, in her speech “Dare to Try, Dare to Grow,” analyzed the psychological mechanisms behind the fear of trying using neuroscience knowledge and proposed a mindset shift from “What if I fail?” to “Maybe I can.”
High school student Tang Kexin, with her speech titled “Stop Comparing, Start Shining,” explored the anxiety of peer comparison brought on by social media and shared insights on alleviating this anxiety by stargazing and reflecting on history.
Special Guests Share Insights on Growth
The event also invited two young guest speakers to deliver keynote speeches. William Feng, a Harvard graduate, bilingual stand-up comedian, and bestselling education author, gave a speech titled “After Getting into an Ivy League, I Realized: The Hardest Lesson in Life Is Not ‘Winning,'” deconstructing the myth of competition and encouraging students to turn personal abilities into public value. Danny Cao, a Columbia University graduate, Forbes Global Youth Leader, and national top seven contestant on “The Brain,” delivered a speech titled “The Brave Enjoy the World First,” sharing his journey from mathematics and finance to cross-sector work in education and public welfare, encouraging students to bravely set out and connect with the world.
School: Safeguarding Unique Growth
Liu Peng, Vice Principal of Huashi Xiping Bilingual School, stated in his address: “At Huaxi, we do not cultivate cookie-cutter excellence; instead, we safeguard unique growth.” He noted that the students’ authentic stories reflect the school’s holistic education philosophy.
The event was fully supported by Alpha International Education, covering teacher training, speech coaching, guest invitations, and on-site visual presentations. The school stated that it will continue to build platforms for students to express their ideas and connect with the world in the future.
