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When Jingwei Pan's family moved to Canada from China four years ago, they picked her school before they picked a place to live so she would have the best chance to succeed. Now she's preparing to head to Dartmouth College in the United States on a $200,000 scholarship.
By Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
Published: June 02, 2010
As new immigrants, Jingwei Pan’s parents had a rather unorthodox way of choosing a school for their only child.
The three drove around Burnaby looking at high schools, concluded most looked “pretty old” before they came upon Byrne Creek secondary which had just opened months earlier.
The clincher was when Pan’s father noticed it had a lot of computer labs. From there, they found a home nearby, in the Highgate neighbourhood.
As an English-as-a-second-language (ESL) student, Pan started her studies in the middle of the school year, with some knowledge of English from her schooling back in Harbin, China. But she mostly had no idea what anyone was saying to her.
Her first class in Grade 8 was home economics, something they didn’t have back in China. “I was surprised people spent time in school just to cook,” Pan recalled with a laugh.
She went on to burn a pot of rice. “My teacher told me to stir, but I didn’t know what stir meant.”
It was an inauspicious beginning to what would become a stellar high school career. Pan, 17, is now top of her graduating class and headed to the ivy league Dartmouth College in New Hampshire on a full-ride scholarship worth up to $200,000 by the time she completes her degree.
But she is the first to admit it didn’t come easily.
That first year in Canada, it would take her an hour to read what took five minutes for her classmates. She didn’t know anyone and she was frustrated after being the top student in the top school in her hometown in China.
“Here I was nobody, my marks were not very good, I was in regular classes, not honours. Homework was a disaster.”
But she persevered. She read storybooks meant for seven-year-olds to start, she gained confidence from doing well in science and math, and eventually she made friends and started getting involved in school clubs, sports and bands.
“All ESL students have a hard time in the beginning, but as long as you’re willing to adapt to the environment and work hard on your own, it’s just a language barrier, not an impossible task.”
Byrne Creek students’ cultural diversity also made it easier for her to fit in, she noted.
Pan also knew that her parents had sacrificed a lot for her benefit. Neither work in jobs with as much status or pay as they had back in China.
She’s currently considering entering pre-medicine studies, but admits that could change as she hasn’t figured out where her passion lies.
Her one piece of advice for students to come? Pan believes high school is a special time when kids can try different things and not worry about making mistakes.
“Grab as much opportunity as you can. There’s no penalties as long as you don’t break any large rules.”
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Ones to Watch: Siblings take art to heart
Danny and Julia Majer seem to have inherited the creative flare of their late father, who was a stonemason and sculptor when he died seven years ago. Now attending Burnaby Mountain Secondary, Danny is studying music while his sister is preparing to attend Emily Carr in the fall.
By Wanda Chow - Burnaby NewsLeader
Published: June 02, 2010
As brother and sister, Danny and Julia Majer have been through a lot but have had one constant in their lives—they’ve been there for each other.
Danny, 18, and Julia, 17, were born 11 months apart and are graduating together from Burnaby Mountain secondary. They are close, almost like twins–unlike many siblings, they actually hang out together and are often heard finishing each other’s sentences.
Their dad, originally from Slovakia, died in 2000 and their mom, originally from Vietnam, sees them regularly but lives apart from them. Danny and Julia have been raised by their maternal grandparents.
Their father’s death forced them to grow up quickly, Danny said.
And it’s their dad who figures strongly in their lives. He was an artist of many mediums–painter, sculptor, carver, stonemason–and while he didn’t play an instrument, he encouraged a love of music.
As children, Danny recalled, their dad “would make us paint or draw more than we wanted to at the time.” But it’s something they appreciate today.
Just like their dad, Julia said, “We have a need to create and do things. Otherwise we’re just sitting around and we don’t know how to function.”
Danny plans to pursue a music career. He’s booking dates to tour his garage rock band, Blind Horses, across Canada then hopes to do some travelling in Europe. He expects to return to school to study music composition “to make my grandma happy.”
With the help of a Michael J. Fox arts scholarship, Julia is headed to Emily Carr University of Art and Design to pursue her dream of being a professional artist.
Both are committed to using their talents in support of the community, which they say is in turn integral to the support of artists and musicians.
Earlier this year, Danny helped organize a concert at school that raised $450 for Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti, and Julia is a familiar face at community art programs and galleries.
Both say their passion for art and music comes from a deeper, spiritual place.
“It just strikes a place inside you, you can’t really understand or explain it,” said Danny.
Julia added, “There’s just something special and pure about art.”
Danny concludes their thought: “As you do it, you kind of understand it more and more. In 10 years, we’ll have more to say about it than we do now.
“We’re just starting.”
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