Past TEDx event

TEDxSHBS Youth

Becoming

Took placeDecember 8, 20253:05 PM - 4:25 PM (GMT+8)
LocationShanghai, Shanghai, China
FormatYouth
"Now I think it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child—What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end." ————BECOMING How should I exist in this world? In an era of multitudes, where individual life seems but a flutter, we seek to fulfill who we are on the crossroads between the internal and the external, journeying our past, present, and future. No one can prescribe the way forward; no one has the right to. Adrift in seas of souls, we felt the world as we reached towards ourselves. We rise, we fall, we rise again, and again we fall. We go on to reveal the true contours of who we are, to question the narratives we inherit, and to embrace possibilities we can become. On the epicenter of our existence, we find ourselves standing, questioning. We find ourselves becoming. We would like to take advantage of this event to hear how people make life choices and eventually become who they are or their on-going struggles to become who/what they want to be in this world.

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

  • Anni (Annie) Gao

    Annie Gao is a student at SHBS who learned a life-changing lesson on a ski slope. Last winter, she strapped on skis for the first time and found herself trapped in a cycle of fear and over control—until a sudden accident stranded her on an advanced slope far beyond her level. Choosing to ski down anyway, she discovered that letting go of the need to control everything was precisely what allowed her to find her rhythm. In her talk, Annie shares how the moment right before losing control can be the beginning of breakthrough—not just on the mountain, but in life.

  • Hanbai Yan

    Hanbai Yan is a social art practitioner and the founder of the XiangYe Youth Innovation project, dedicated to bridging the gap between urban youth and rural communities. An alumnus of the Lu Xun Academy of Fine Arts and a member of Nantang Dao, he moved beyond the traditional art world to explore the intersection of creative expression and social construction. Rejecting the urban "rat race," he now lives in the countryside of Pujiang, Chengdu, where he builds a youth co-creation community that connects young creators with local artisans, intangible heritage inheritors, and village elders. In his talk, he shares his transformative journey from the isolated "Me" to the collective power of "We," proving that art can be a tool for building real-world belonging.

  • Haoxuan Yu

    Haoxuan (Sean) Yu is a student at SHBS and a passionate debater who has competed in numerous teen debates in both Chinese and English. As the founder of his school's debate club, he has trained countless members in the art of argumentation—but his real discovery came not from winning rounds, but from the quiet debates he had with himself. In his talk, Sean explores how preparing to argue both sides of a resolution about practical careers versus passionate pursuits forced him to confront his own uncertain future. He reveals that the most important debate isn't the one on stage—it's the one happening inside each of us, where we weigh who we were, who we are, and who we're becoming.

  • Juran(Jerry) Sun

    Jerry Sun is a Forbes 30 Under 30 and Hurun Under 30s honoree, recognized for his impact on the education and entrepreneurship landscape. A graduate of Middlebury College, he began his career on Wall Street at J.P. Morgan before founding WST, a leading career development platform that has helped thousands of international students secure positions at top global firms. Beyond the boardroom, Jerry is also a competitive racing driver, a pursuit that teaches him the importance of precision, control, and navigating life's fast turns. In his talk, he shares how he transformed from an average student into a founder—by learning to craft his environment rather than simply adapting to it.

  • Leyang (Sage) Liu

    Leyang (Sage) Liu is a student at SHBS whose relationship with video games has been a lifelong tug-of-war. From his first click on Fireboy & Watergirl to navigating family separation and pandemic isolation, games became his escape from a reality that felt overwhelming. He dropped out of school, pursued a professional e-sports dream, and faced a sobering rejection at JD Esports Club's talent test. That wake-up call sparked a new kind of courage: the choice to return to school on his own terms. In this heartfelt talk, Sage reminds us that losing our way is part of growing up—and that the best way forward is by reaching out and letting others pull us back.

  • Marc Belisle

    Marc Belisle is an educator, writer, and playwright who teaches American Literature and History at SHBS. A passionate practitioner of the liberal arts, his career has spanned journalism—co-founding the online commentary magazine Reverb Press, which once reached over a million monthly readers—to the classroom, where he runs creative writing workshops and inspires students to find their voices. This year, he returned to his high school passion for theater by writing a feature-length play that was staged in Shanghai. In his talk, Marc draws on the ancient paradox of the Ship of Theseus to explore a question that has driven his life: Are we who we always were, or who we build ourselves into? He argues that identity is not a destination, but an ongoing, exhilarating process of rebuilding.

  • Yujia Zhao

    Yujia (Kiki) Zhao is an enthusiastic student at SHBS who radiates energy both on and off the stage. A talented Latin dancer, she also serves as the head of the Publicity Department of the Student Union, where her creativity and proactive spirit shine through in every project. Beyond that, she founded a student club dedicated to learning about animals and the local community, and she leads a program to design mascots for her school. But her journey hasn't always been bright. In her talk, Kiki shares the painful story of being abandoned by her closest friends in middle school—and how her mother's advice to "stop being a mirror and become your own light" slowly transformed her life. She reminds us that we don't need to be the brightest light in the world—just bright enough to illuminate our own path.

Organizing team