Beyond Borders: 

A Sixth Former's Journey of Growth and Discovery

In this edition of Hiba Diaries: Pupil Journeys, we meet Afifa, a Sixth Form pupil studying A Level Visual Arts. Since enrolling at Hiba, she has thrown herself into exploring design, perception and creative problem-solving. Her international background and knack for balancing gut instinct with careful analysis show just how much she's grown here.

"I am someone driven by an intense curiosity about the human mind and how systems operate," Afifa reflects. What drew her to Hiba was the way it balances serious academics with room to be creative. For her, art isn't just about flashes of inspiration. It's an intellectual process that needs real analytical thinking. Wellington's art curriculum gave her the perfect place to bring together logic and emotion.

At Hiba, art isn't just a discrete subject. Pupils learn sketching, painting, sculpture and digital media while studying art from different cultures. They also integrate engineering principles and sustainable practices into their projects. It's about using both creativity and analytical thinking to solve real problems.

Moving to China from Sweden has broadened Afifa’s horizons. She has discovered that academic challenges and cultural diversity create a positive feedback loop.

She reflects fondly on group projects where everyone brings different perspectives. The school's international mix turns every discussion into a meeting of minds from around the world. When she and her classmates organised the Grade 12 assembly to showcase Sixth Form achievements, they struggled to create something that honoured everyone's cultural background. With such different perspectives on success and self-expression, communication was difficult at first. But pushing through those difficulties made their final presentation stronger. They created something that genuinely reflected multiple viewpoints.

These experiences have sharpened her thinking and shown her that people from different backgrounds can build something meaningful together.

Afifa credits Hiba’s University Guidance team with helping her find her direction. They didn't prescribe a path. "The counsellors never simply told me what to do. Instead, they prompted me to untangle my own logic and refine my personal statement, allowing me to see clearly the path I truly wanted to forge." That approach taught her to balance freedom with responsibility, which she considers one of her most valuable lessons.

Looking back on her years at Hiba Academy Nantong, Afifa offers this advice to younger pupils: "The school bestows upon us an immense amount of freedom and opportunity, but the agency to utilise them rests entirely in your hands. Do not let time slip away; immerse yourself fully in the present. This chapter of Sixth Form life, woven with exploration and hard work, is a singular, irreplaceable badge of honour."

At Hiba Academy Nantong, we believe tomorrow's leaders will be adaptable thinkers who can work across disciplines and navigate different cultures. That's what Afifa represents. Through our curriculum, bilingual international community and university guidance, we prepare pupils for more than admission to top universities. We give them tools for life: critical thinking, cultural understanding and the ability to drive their own growth and success.