黎栩彤：从生物到人类学，在国际高中兴趣迁移与自我重构的成长

在美伦国际高中的校园里，黎栩彤（Jessie）常被同学和老师记住的，不只是她手中那份亮眼的录取名单——来自英国、加拿大与美国多所名校的offer，更是她在不断试探、调整与重构自我过程中，逐渐形成的一种清晰而坚定的成长轨迹：从“广泛尝试型选手”，走向“以人和社会为核心的跨学科学习者”。

At MIC (Majestic International College), Jessie is often remembered by classmates and teachers not only for her impressive list of university offers—from top institutions in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States—but more importantly for the clear and determined trajectory of growth she has gradually formed through continuous experimentation, adjustment, and self-reconstruction: from a “wide-ranging explorer” to an interdisciplinary learner centered on people and society.

从“生物兴趣”到“人类学转向”：

一次不断试错的学术选择

Jessie最初的兴趣并不在人类学，而是更偏向生物与心理学。她在十年级选择了生物与经济作为A-Level课程组合，这种看似“跨界”的搭配，在当时甚至被认为有些不典型。但正是这种不典型，为她后续的转向埋下了伏笔。

Jessie’s initial interests were not in anthropology, but leaned more toward biology and psychology. In Grade 10, she chose Biology and Economics as her A-Level subject combination. This seemingly “cross-disciplinary” pairing was, at the time, considered somewhat unconventional. Yet it quietly laid the groundwork for her later shift.

在学习过程中，她逐渐意识到：微观生物学的实验逻辑虽然严谨，但并不完全契合她真正的兴趣点。她在EPQ项目中尝试研究“生活方式对表观基因变化的影响”，通过大量文献阅读完成论文写作，最终却得出一个重要结论——自己对纯实验室科学的热情有限，但对“人如何被社会与环境塑造”更感兴趣。

During her studies, she gradually realized that while the experimental logic of molecular biology was rigorous, it did not fully align with her true interests. In her EPQ project, she attempted to research the “effects of lifestyle on epigenetic changes,” completing a thesis through extensive literature review. She eventually reached an important conclusion: her passion for laboratory-based science was limited, while she was more interested in how “humans are shaped by society and environment.”

△Jessie研究课题

这一转变并非突发，而是渐进式的认知更新。她在阅读《乡土中国》等人类学与社会学著作后，逐渐理解“结构之外的个体经验”，并对田野调查、文化差异与社会议题产生浓厚兴趣。这种兴趣最终将她推向人类学方向，也解释了她为何在申请中同时选择UCL人类科学与人类学体系课程（全球专业排名第四位）。

This shift was not abrupt but a gradual cognitive transition. After reading works such asCountry of China (乡土中国)and other anthropological and sociological texts, she began to understand “individual experience beyond structure” and developed a strong interest in ethnography, cultural differences, and social issues. This ultimately led her toward anthropology and explains why she applied to programs such as UCL’s Human Sciences and Anthropology-related tracks.
体育与艺术：另一条“理解人”的路径

Jessie的成长并不只发生在课堂。她长期参与足球、排球、乒乓球、网球等校队运动，也有十年芭蕾舞基础，并在进入美伦后转向古典舞表演。同时，她在广州艺术工作坊持续两年担任志愿者，接触艺术治疗相关实践。

Jessie’s growth did not happen only in the classroom. She has long participated in school teams for football, volleyball, table tennis, and tennis. She also has a ten-year background in ballet and, after entering MIC, transitioned into classical dance performance. In addition, she volunteered for two years at an art workshop in Guangzhou, where she was exposed to practices related to art therapy.

这些经历构成了她理解“人”的另一条路径。

These experiences formed another pathway through which she came to understand “people.”

△参与艺术工作坊担任志愿者

在艺术工作坊中，她观察到大量成年人在现实压力中的焦虑与矛盾：稳定工作与个人理想之间的拉扯、情绪压抑与表达出口的缺失。这些观察让她第一次以“社会结构中的个体”视角看待现实问题，而不只是作为旁观者。

At the art workshop, she observed significant anxiety and internal conflict among adults under real-life pressure: the tension between stable careers and personal aspirations, and the lack of emotional expression outlets. These observations led her, for the first time, to view reality from the perspective of “the individual within social structures,” rather than as a detached observer.

舞蹈训练则提供了另一种理解身体与表达的方式。从芭蕾到古典舞的转换，也让她意识到“身体语言本身就是文化”，不同体系背后隐藏着不同的表达逻辑与审美结构。

Dance training offered another way of understanding body and expression. The transition from ballet to classical dance also made her realize that “physical language itself is culture,” and that different systems embody different logics of expression and aesthetic structures.

升学季经历意外受伤：一次被迫暂停，也是一种重新排序

Jessie申请过程遇到了一个意外转折点——前交叉韧带断裂。

During the application season, Jessie experienced an unexpected turning point—an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture.

在足球训练中受伤后，她经历了手术与长时间康复，同时正处于ED申请准备、SAT备考与活动收尾的高压阶段。这次突发事件彻底打乱了原有计划。

She was injured during football training and underwent surgery followed by a long rehabilitation process, all while managing ED applications, SAT preparation, and the final stages of extracurricular activities. This sudden event completely disrupted her original plans.

但也正是在这一段“被迫停下”的时间里，她开始重新审视自己的节奏与选择。受伤限制了行动，却也带来了反思空间：她从“必须参与所有活动以证明自己”，逐渐转变为“量力而行，选择真正重要的方向”。

Yet it was precisely during this period of forced pause that she began to reassess her rhythm and choices. The injury restricted her mobility but created space for reflection. She shifted from “needing to participate in everything to prove herself” toward “choosing what truly matters and acting within her limits.”

EPQ与竞赛：能力的验证，而非终点

在学术表现上，她完成了EPQ论文，并参与IBO生物竞赛获得金奖、IEO经济竞赛获得一等奖。这些成绩并未成为她兴趣的终点，而更像是“验证工具”。

In terms of academic performance, she completed her EPQ thesis and participated in competitions, winning a gold award in the IBO Biology competition and first prize in the IEO Economics competition. These achievements did not become endpoints of her interests, but rather “tools for validation.”

尤其在EPQ完成后，她通过进入大学实验室体验科研工作，进一步确认了自己对微观生物科研兴趣有限。这种“做完再判断”的方式，构成了她非常典型的学习策略：不是先定义目标，而是在实践中不断校准方向。

Especially after completing the EPQ, she gained access to a university laboratory experience, which further confirmed her limited interest in molecular biology research. This “try first, then evaluate” approach became her typical learning strategy: instead of defining goals in advance, she continuously adjusts direction through practice.

人类学的吸引力：在不确定中寻找解释世界的方式

当被问及为何选择人类学时，她的回答并不抽象，而是来源于具体阅读与观察：从人类学博主的田野记录，到《敞坟之地》所呈现的移民议题，再到基因编辑与“黄金水稻”的伦理争议。

When asked why she chose anthropology, her answers were grounded in concrete readings and observations: ethnographic field notes from anthropology bloggers, migration issues depicted inThe Land of Open Graves, and ethical debates surrounding gene editing and “Golden Rice.”

这些内容共同构成一个核心吸引力：世界并非单一答案结构，而是充满冲突、立场与解释空间。

Together, these formed a central attraction: the world is not a system of single answers, but one filled with conflicts, perspectives, and interpretive space.

△在课堂上的学习笔记

她尤其关注那些“没有标准答案的问题”——例如科技伦理、文化冲突、制度与个体之间的张力。这也解释了她为何更倾向于美国通识教育体系，希望在进入专业前先建立更宽广的知识框架。

She is particularly drawn to “questions without standard answers”—such as technological ethics, cultural conflict, and tensions between institutions and individuals. This also explains her preference for the U.S. liberal education system, where she can build a broader intellectual framework before committing to a specific major.

成长的核心：从“追求更多”到“理解自己”

回看Jessie的路径，可以看到一个清晰的变化逻辑：

从广泛参与体育与艺术，到深入社会观察；

从理科微观实验兴趣，到人类学宏观视角；

从追求“尽可能多的经历”，到学会筛选与取舍。

受伤、选课调整、EPQ尝试与竞赛经历，共同构成了她理解自我的过程。

Looking back at Jessie’s path, a clear pattern emerges:

From broad participation in sports and arts to deeper social observation;
From micro-level scientific interest to macro-level anthropological thinking;
From seeking as many experiences as possible to learning selection and prioritization.

Injury, subject adjustments, EPQ exploration, and competition experiences together formed her process of self-understanding.

△参加校园晚会表演

她的成长并不是“稳定上升型”，而更像是一条不断修正航向的曲线：每一次偏离，都成为下一次选择的依据。

Her growth is not a steadily upward trajectory, but more like a curve that continuously adjusts its direction—each deviation becoming the basis for the next decision.MIC
成长之外，是一所学校的“发生机制”

Jessie的故事并不依赖单一高光节点，而是由一系列不断变化的兴趣、尝试与反思构成。在通往伦敦大学学院、加利福尼亚大学尔湾分校等世界高校的路径上，她真正呈现的，并不是一个“被规划好的优秀学生”，而是一个在不断试错中逐渐明确自我坐标的学习者。

Jessie’s story is not defined by a single highlight, but by a series of evolving interests, experiments, and reflections. On her path toward universities such as the University of California, Irvine and University College London, what she ultimately demonstrates is not a “pre-designed excellent student,” but a learner who gradually clarifies her own coordinates through continuous trial and error.

更重要的是，这样的成长并非偶然发生，而是源于一个能够提供持续探索空间的教育环境。

More importantly, this kind of growth is not accidental. It is made possible by an educational environment that provides sustained space for exploration.

△爱运动爱舞蹈，在美伦的日子充实

美伦国际高中始终致力于培养具有全球视野、跨学科思维与自我驱动力的未来学习者，让每一位学生都能在不确定的世界中，找到属于自己的确定方向。

MIC is committed to cultivating future learners with global vision, interdisciplinary thinking, and self-driven motivation, enabling each student to find their own direction in an uncertain world.

如果你也希望在高中阶段开启一段更自由、更深度、更贴近真实世界的学习旅程，美伦国际高中，或许正是你值得考虑的起点。欢迎报名美伦国际高中7月24日校园开放日，了解更多。

If you also hope to begin a more open, deeper, and real-world-connected learning journey in high school, MIC may be the starting point worth considering. Registration is open for MIC campus open days on July 24.