毕业生 | 申昊正：5年全奖，源于真心的热爱！

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毕业生 · 2025

很快，启明星2025届高中毕业生就要离开校园，奔向属于自己的道路。在老师们眼中，这是“特别忠于自己内心”的一届学生——他们笃定未来的方向，并且很努力，最终取得了傲人的成绩！

篇幅有限，今年《毕业生》栏目，我们将介绍其中的3位，当然，其他孩子也像他们一样，可爱、真诚，我们祝福他们！

申昊正 / Harry Shen

▸9年级从公立学校转入启明星

▸收到加州理工州立大学圣路易分校、伊利诺伊大学香槟分校、迈阿密大学、华盛顿大学、马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校、俄亥俄州立大学、伊利诺伊理工学院、弗吉尼亚理工大学等高校录取通知书，作为建筑学知名学府之一的迈阿密大学给予他5年本科学费全额奖学金。

热爱=正确的方向!

怎么判断一件事是不是孩子真心的热爱呢？

听Harry讲他就要去学的建筑学，连我们都很受感染——这个学科这么斑斓，又有广阔的就业空间！是Harry正确的努力方向没错啦！

打游戏都在盖房子！

“好的建筑，比如很多古建筑，有一种符合逻辑的美。它们拥有自己的属性和功能，又和周围的环境融合在一起。在我的老家山西，有很多不起眼的古建。藏在偏远的地方，但很独特，特别美。”

“明清时期留下的建筑规模都比之前朝代的要小，因为到了明清，盖房子用的大木料已经很少了。”

“前些日子美国加州大火为什么烧掉了那么多房子，因为那些房子都是木头、纸板建的。美国的房产税很高，和造价直接挂钩，而且每年都要收，人们为了省钱就用木头和纸板造房子，结果大火一来全烧了。加州海边也有用砖石盖的房子，大火过了就没有什么事。”

“日本还有很多传统样式的房子，都是木头造的。四根柱子，四条梁，今天日本人盖房子的时候还有上梁仪式。”

说到建筑，Harry滔滔不绝，知道的特别多。他连最爱打的游戏都是建筑主题的。

Harry做实地调查时用镜头记录的建筑

冷门建筑学？

Harry喜欢建筑学，可不是一时上头，他连未来的就业也考虑到了。

“学建筑学，你要学工程、物理、艺术，知识是比较庞杂的，就业的时候可以转到很多行业去，机会也多。”Harry说，“你可以做舞台设计，做园艺，如果再和某一种领域结合，你就成了这个领域的建筑专家。比如有人专门设计医院，有人专门设计监狱……”

Harry（左三）获得室内设计奖“未来思想家”奖项

Harry不只了解这些机会，还对自己的职业做了进一步准备：“日本人很喜欢改建自己的住房一户建，技术成熟，取材方便，成本也不高，建筑师在日本很有市场，而且进入事务所的建筑师还是终身制的。去日本工作是一个可能性，我也正在跟一个日本建筑师事务所的老师学日语。”

大考前跑去访校

考虑清楚了热爱和就业，Harry对自己的未来非常认真——

为了选对学校，4月下旬，大部分12年级学生准备IB大考的时候，Harry又去美国访校了。

他访问了加州和华盛顿州的4所大学——加利福尼亚理工州立大学、迈阿密大学、华盛顿大学、伊利诺伊大学香槟分校，这些大学是他收到的Offer里最钟意的。

美国大学往往会为收到它们Offer的学生提供深度访校机会。可国际学生在这个时候访校的不多，Harry也是启明星的第一个。

他参观了校园，还在迈阿密大学和华盛顿大学和大一学生一起上课。访校结束，Harry就决定去迈阿密大学了。

“我更关注学校的课程设置，而不是它的排名。大一下半学期，迈阿密大学已经在教3D建模了，比其他学校的进度要快。我觉得从那里毕业，我的专业知识会更扎实，更丰富。”

“另外，这所大学提供5年制教学，一毕业我就能获得建筑师从业资格，不像在其他学校，学习4年之后还要继续进修。”Harry说。

至于为什么能获得惊人的5年全额奖学金，Harry在申请中展现出的热情和专业素养当然是重要原因。还有一个关键因素就是他关注到学校官网上“必须提交作品集才有可能获得全额奖学金”的一行小字提示，完善了申请材料。

Harry在规划自己的学业生涯时，展示出许多成年人也难有的独立和成熟！

找到自己

“要是没有来启明星，我很可能会随大流，学个计算机或是电子信息工程。”Harry想了想说。

转到启明星之后，他接触到和原来不一样的学习方法；10年级的个人项目展之后，他更是找到了真心喜欢的专业方向。

在Harry看来，启明星的IB课程体系和原来的学习体系天差地别。

“和完成一个结果相比，IB体系更多强调的是得到这个结果的学习过程、思考过程。老师也会告诉你完成学习项目的流程，先做什么，后做什么，教给你怎么从零开始完成一件事情。”Harry说，“这样学习方法吃透了，可以应对各个领域、各个项目的学习。”

到了10年级，完成个人项目展，学校鼓励大家做自己真心喜欢的主题。Harry做了一个北京中轴线上古建筑的AR呈现，把原来感兴趣的城市规划具象到建筑学的方向上：

从那以后，Harry围绕建筑学四处探索，和老师聊天、向专家请教，做过山西当地很多古建的3D模型，并且全都收录在他的大学申请作品集里。

“启明星开放、包容，给了我们很大的探索自由和空间，也会给到我们很多支持资源。要是你有优势，在这里都会被放大。回头看，转学到启明星是正确的决定！”Harry说。

Harry的作品集（部分）

往日的所学支持Harry进入了理想的大学。他说：“希望在中学得到的成长也能在大学学习里能得上。”

然后，他顿了顿：“我想，肯定能用上！”

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!

申昊正 / Harry Shen

▸Transferred to Daystar Academy from a public school in 9th grade

▸Received offers fromCalifornia Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; University of Miami; University of Washington, Seattle, UMass Amherst, Ohio State University, Illinois Tech, Virginia Tech, along with a full five-year tuition scholarship for his undergraduate studies at University of Miami

Passion =

The Right Direction

How can you tell if a student is truly passionate about something?

Just listen to Harry talk about thearchitecture programhe’s about to start—his excitement is contagious! The subject is rich, full of creativity, and offers broad career prospects. Clearly, Harry is heading in the right direction.

Even His Gaming

is About Building

“Great architecture—like many historical buildings—has a logical kind of beauty. These structures have their own purpose and features while blending naturally into their surroundings. In my hometown of Shanxi, there are many ancient buildings that seem unremarkable but are actually very unique and beautiful,” Harry shared.

“In the Ming and Qing dynasties, buildings became smaller in scale because large timber was already scarce. Recently in California, wildfires destroyed so many homes because many were built with wood and cardboard. Property taxes in the U.S. are high and based on the value of the house, so people often use cheaper materials. Unfortunately, that makes homes more vulnerable. But houses built with brick or stone along the California coast withstood the fires much better.”

“Japan still has many traditional wooden homes, built with four pillars and four beams. Even today, when constructing such houses, the Japanese still hold a beam-raising ceremony.”

When it comes to architecture, Harry is unstoppable. Even his favorite video games revolve around architectural themes.

Harry photographed buildings during his field research

Is Architecture Really

a Niche Major?

Harry’s love for architecture is far from a passing interest. He’s also carefully considered career options.

“Architecture involves engineering, physics, and art—it's a broad field with many potential career paths,” Harry said. “You can go into stage design, landscape architecture, or specialize in certain types of buildings. For example, some people design hospitals, others design prisons.”

Harry (third from the left) at the Interior Design Award‘s "Future Thinker" Award

He’s even taken proactive steps toward preparing for the job market: “In Japan, it’s common for people to renovate their single-family homes. The techniques are mature, materials accessible, and costs reasonable. So there’s high demand for architects. Japanese architectural firms even offer lifetime positions. Working in Japan is one possible path for me, so I’m also learning Japanese from a professional in a Japanese firm.”

Visiting Universities Right

Before Exams

With a clear passion and future goals in mind, Harry has been very intentional about choosing the right university.

In late April, while most 12th graders were busy preparing for their IB exams, Harry traveled to the U.S. to visit universities.

He toured four of his top-choice schools—California Polytechnic State University, University of Miami, University of Washington, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

While U.S. colleges often provide in-depth visit opportunities for admitted students, it’s rare for international students to take advantage of this. Harry became the first Daystar Academy student to do so.

He toured the campuses and even sat in on college classes with first-year students at the University of Miami and University of Washington. After these experiences, he was confident in his decision: University of Miami it is.

“I really liked their course design. By the second semester of freshman year, they’re already teaching 3D modeling, which is faster than other schools. I feel that a degree from Miami will give me stronger and more comprehensive knowledge.”

Finding Himself

“If I hadn’t transferred to Daystar Academy, I probably would’ve followed the crowd and chosen something like computer science or electronical engineering,” Harry reflected.

At Daystar Academy, he was exposed to new learning methods, and during the 10th-grade Personal Project Exhibition, he discovered his true academic passion.

To Harry, the IB curriculum at Daystar Academy is a world apart from what he experienced before.

“Unlike traditional systems that emphasize just the result, the IB focuses more on the learning and thinking process that leads to the result. Teachers also guide you step by step on how to approach a project from scratch,” Harry said.“Once you’ve mastered this method of learning, you can apply it to any subject or project.”

For his 10th-grade Personal Project, students were encouraged to pursue something they genuinely cared about. Harry created an AR（Augmented Reality） presentation of ancient architecture along Beijing’s Central Axis, translating his interest in urban planning into an architectural direction.

Since then, Harry has continued to explore architecture—engaging with teachers, asking questions, and building 3D models of traditional Shanxi buildings, all of which were included in his university portfolio.

“Daystar Academy is open and inclusive. It gave me the freedom and support to explore, and helped amplify my strengths.Looking back, transferring to Daystar Academy was absolutely the right choice,” Harry said.

Selected works from Harry's portfolio

All he learned along the way helped him get into his dream school.Now, he hopes that his growth at Daystar Academy will continue to serve him in college: “I think it definitely will.”