Macau born Tiger Qian has been a YCIS Beijing Scorpion since 2006 when he arrived in K2 and is currently in Year 11. Throughout the time he has spent at the Yew Chung International School of Beijing the values and principles we strive to instill in our students are reflected in what he has become – a well-rounded individual with unique talents in sports and arts, and has used his skills to serve his community and for the betterment of the world around him through various charitable contributions .

A Passion for SportsTiger has been active in sports for a very long time which has led to him receiving the YCIS Beijing Sports Scholarship for the 2020-21 school year.

What led to Qian’s application for the scholarship was the sheer need for him to prove to himself that he could achieve this goal, which he did. “The whole time I have been in this school, I never thought I could get a scholarship, but after a while I thought, maybe I actually can”  he shared.

The award did not come as much of a surprise to him as a result.  “My life revolves around sport”  he asserted, however, he believes the main contributing factor to him being awarded the scholarship was an initiative he presented to the panel. “I wanted to start a tennis club for our school, where we could use the tennis court at Honglingjing Park as a location for a CCA (Co-Curricular Activity)”.  With his know-how of the sport, he is hoping to impart his knowledge to his younger counterparts, an indication of true leadership that we aspire for our students to have.

Him leading the Tennis CCA stands to help him develop relationships with his school mates too, one of the reasons he prefers an close-nit school community like YCIS-BJ. “I personally like smaller schools because it feels like everybody is one big family – you know everybody around you”  he said, contrary to a bigger school.

His passion for sports began from a young age, he continued "The first sport that I was introduced to by my dad was basketball. He used to take me to watch him and his friends play all the time."  However, Tiger was not drawn to basketball, so he tried tennis. He played the sport for a while and then tried football for five years to help with his physique and agility, advised his father. Tennis, however, remained his longstanding favourite sport over the years. "Tennis is something I can't live without"  he declares.

Philanthropic EndeavorsTiger's desire to initiate community-based projects and aid his community is not only sports-focused, but his passion for charity work spreads wide to helping younger children as well. His longing to assist has always been innate from a young age, however, as he grew older he was able to identify courses that resonated with him. One of these is donating, fundraising, raising awareness and spending time with children with developmental disabilities such as autism and birth defects like cleft palate.

According to Tiger "This is something I have always cared about because I know people with these conditions, and also understanding that they are serious."  he said. Empathizing with parents of these children has also been a huge drive in why he is involved in the charities. "I can help, so I just do that."  he said.

In 2018, with the help like-minded members of his community he was involved in the Super Art Bus, an artistic initiative began to encourage children with autism to express themselves artistically through drawing and painting. According to Tiger, the point of this exercise was “to allow the children have fun with their imagination and let them know everything will be alright.”  he said. Qian’s participation in autism related charities led to him being named ambassador for the Starlight Project, whose aim was to aid in the rehabilitation of those affected by the developmental impairment.

Most recently he participated in the 5KM Nike Run Club to raise funds for the Red Cross affiliated Smile Angel Foundation which assists with facilitating surgeries for children with clefts, this was in addition to a donation he made. Tiger’s contribution to various charities is indicative of the compassion he has for those facing challenges that he isn’t, which makes him a true YCIS Beijing ambassador.

Exploring ModellingIn addition to his time spent doing sports and charity work, for two years now he has also been active in a variety of media campaigns and international fashion shows where he walked as a model. His involvement in events such the Tatler Ball, Monaco Grimaldi Dynasty Exhibition and the distinguished China International Fashion Week has also exposed him to prominent figures in modern culture – the likes of Kiera Chaplin and Prince Albert II of Monaco.

With his mother’s influence, a fashion aficionado, he was been able to walk in the most acclaimed fashion and award shows.

To view Tiger’s portfolio  click here.