Cheng He | Inspired by the educators that prepared him for the global world, this Rosedale grad hopes to empower future generations of global citizens
Cheng He is a 2023 graduate from Rosedale Global High School’s Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) program with partner New Oriental, located in Shenzhen, China. He will begin studying in a bachelor’s degree program with a double-major in education and science at Monash University in Australia this February. Monash University is a QS-ranked Top 100 Global University.
Cheng knew from a young age that he wanted to pursue a career in education. Growing up with an aunt who teaches English and an uncle who teaches math, he learned a variety of perspectives, and came to appreciate how math and science support building global societies and English bridges them. Through the Rosedale OSSD program, Cheng built the skills, tools and strategies he will need to pursue his dream of building and bridging future generations—just as his family and teachers have done for him.
“I have met many inspirational teachers that I admire—I want to be like them,” Cheng says. “And I firmly believe that I can be.”
With a passion for travel and learning about global societies, Cheng has always dreamed of studying abroad. He has already been accepted into education, science and commerce programs at Monash University, The University of Auckland, The University of Canterbury, The University of Sydney, The University of New south Wales and Victoria University of Wellington, he is waiting for a reply from The University of Melbourne.
Transitioning to Rosedale Global High School from a public high school in China, Rosedale’s Transformative Approach to Learning and holistic delivery model felt very different to Cheng in a positive way. Cheng remembers the public school focus on memorization and testing, and the OSSD was his first experience with competency development, differentiated instruction and diverse evaluation. He learned to create and was challenged to apply his skills to the real world for which he was becoming a future-ready global citizen.
“If my previous courses were grounded in specificity and difficulty, the OSSD is grounded in breadth, variety and building,” says Cheng. “I have learned to turn challenges into opportunities, and have the courage and willingness to try new things.”
Student opportunities such as the Global Student Success Forum and Elite University Student Recruitment Fair (GSSF), were also new experiences for Cheng—he was thrilled to experience detailed resources, expert discussions, and extensive information about more than 40 of the world’s leading universities in one place, with access to decision-makers from within these institutions.
He also earned his place among 124 Rosedale Global High School students who met one-on-one with admissions and recruitment staff from top global universities. He was able to connect with staff from Monash University and the University of New South Wales, both in Australia, and these conversations changed the way he thought about higher education and his future path. Before these intimate networking opportunities, Cheng planned to attend a smaller university in Adelaide, Australia, with his friends and hopefully become a teacher. But, after his conversation with a recruitment officer from Monash University, he realized that he was well-qualified to access the university and that it could offer him the future he envisions.
“After that conversation, I knew that Monash was the university for me, I felt like the better facility and bigger city provided higher access,” Cheng says. “I truly appreciate the opportunity that Rosedale and my teachers offered me; to learn about my dreams and what I want from my academics and my career.”
