Lead Tomorrow | CIS Middle School TED-Ed Talk: From Personal Challenges to Leadership Growth

Recently, CIS Foshan hosted a TED-Ed Talk event, where six students from Grades 7 to 10—JT, Fillipp, Jerry, Cheney, Maria, and Lan—took the stage to deliver original speeches that spoke directly to the essence of personal growth.

Despite their diverse topics, the students shared a common coming-of-age narrative: a journey from personal challenges to self-breakthrough. Confronting rules, cultural differences, fear, unhelpful habits, generational gaps, and life-shaping choices, they transformed obstacles into opportunities through reflection and action—demonstrating the critical thinking, independence, and agency that define CIS students.

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Lan spoke about her uncertainty and decision-making when faced with important academic choices. She shared how, with the support of her parents, she chose a path that did not follow the traditional education system. Her talk emphasized that when confronted with multiple options, making choices aligned with one’s inner values is key to shaping a meaningful life.

Lan’s presentation not only demonstrated her independence and courage in decision-making, but also reflected CIS Foshan’s commitment to encouraging students to explore personalized learning pathways and take ownership of their educational journeys.

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Maria, a student who has grown up between Chinese and Colombian cultures, spoke about the challenges of identity that come with navigating two cultural worlds. She reflected on moments of confusion caused by cultural differences, particularly during her early years, and shared how she gradually learned to understand and integrate both cultures.

Through this process, Maria discovered how to draw strength from each cultural background, transforming them into a unique source of personal growth and confidence.

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Jerry reflected on how a seemingly small classroom rule changed his learning habits. By sharing the experience of having his phone taken away for breaking the rules, he explored how this moment prompted him to reassess his attitude toward learning.

Through greater focus and self-discipline, Jerry gradually improved both his academic performance and his English proficiency, demonstrating how meaningful change can begin with a single moment of reflection.

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Cheney shared his journey from fearing a more advanced English class to gradually adapting and overcoming that fear. His talk highlighted how personal growth often begins by taking small steps toward challenges rather than avoiding them.

He emphasized a powerful insight: fear is not something to be avoided, but a catalyst for progress. Cheney’s story encouraged the audience to take that first step forward when faced with difficulties.

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JT focused on overcoming unhelpful habits and improving time management. In his talk, he introduced a three-step approach—Rewire, Replace, and Reinforce—to explain how he gradually addressed procrastination.

He emphasized that effective time management and self-discipline are essential skills for every student, and that with the right strategies and perseverance, negative habits can be changed through intentional actions and goal-oriented planning.

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Filip explored generational differences by sharing misunderstandings between himself and his parents. Through these everyday moments, he highlighted how gaps between generations often stem from different experiences and perspectives, and argued that genuine connection can only be built through understanding and communication.

He emphasized the importance of empathy in strengthening relationships and improving cross-generational dialogue. Filip’s talk demonstrated how self-reflection and an openness to understanding others can lead to more meaningful and respectful connections in daily life.

The TED-Ed Talk program is one of the key initiatives at CIS Foshan, designed to develop students’ language expression, critical thinking, and global perspective.

Last year, Filip, JT, and Cheney took the TED-Ed stage for the first time. This year, all three returned to the program. According to Ms. Peggy, the TED-Ed project lead, “there is strong progression built into the program. Second-year students focus more on advanced storytelling, act as peer mentors for others, and develop a more polished, personal voice. This is a key step in mastering public speaking—it requires courage and also drives growth in both expression and thinking.”

Every TED-Ed Talk represents a journey of courage and self-breakthrough, where students build confident expression and sharpen critical thinking—laying a strong foundation for leadership in their future academic and professional paths.

If you hope your child can continue to grow through reflection and real-world practice, CIS Foshan welcomes you. We are committed to providing students with a globally minded educational pathway that bridges the present with the future.

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