Hear from the Dulwich College Beijing’s alumni | William CHEN

We are happy to introduce a new series of interviews highlighting our International Old Alleynians, or IOA in short, namely, our Dulwich College Beijing alumni. Their childhood and teenage years at DCB behind them, they were happy to share fond memories of DCB and tell us about their journey since then.

Let’s get to know William CHEN (DCB 2020), who was interviewed by Cecilia T, Dulwich College Beijing 2022 student prefect for Alumni, Careers and University.

1. Hi William, please tell us what you are up to now?

After graduating from DCB Class of 2020, I went to Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, where I’m currently undertaking a Bachelor of Science programme in Computer Science and Economics.

2. Please share a memorable experience or moment from your DCB years

A memorable experience was when I hosted the Sharks Football Tournament in 2019. The school gave me the venue of the entire South Pitch pro bono and human resources to cover the event’s logistics (namely cleaning, security and setup crews). The tournament involved 26 football teams across Beijing over two days, with over 300 people attending. We were fortunate to get the help of more than 30 DCB logistics team members. 

3. What do you like most about your current college life/learning? 

Brown’s Open Curriculum allows for exploring any course you want without worrying about core course requirements. During my time here, I have already taken courses in Neurosciences, Psychology, Economics, Mathematics, Philosophy, Computer Science and Engineering. The best part of college learning is the professors we get to meet. It’s great to have the opportunity to study under people who wrote textbooks deemed the “Bible” of Computer Graphics, learn a computer language from the person who made it or analyse Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason with the leading scholar who translated and edited it.  

4. How has DCB prepared you for your college life?

From an academic standpoint, the IB curriculum allowed me to be in a very good position. The quality of teaching and standards set for students pushed me to develop excellent learning skills. Even with the academic rigour of an Ivy League, DCB provided one of the best preparations for all aspects of my courses compared to many of my peers here.

5. What was your favourite class back in high school, and why?

My favourite class in high school would definitely be Economics. I was lucky to have two great teachers teach me throughout IB, and they didn’t only teach me the curriculum but helped guide us as students to become better independent thinkers and build our framework for learning. It was the course that I felt helped me the most in life as a young stocks/options trader, understanding the base logic of how economies and businesses work, on both the micro and macro levels.

6. One thing you would advise our current DCB students 

Applying to colleges/universities may be the pinnacle of stress for high school. If you can’t think of ideas for extracurriculars, just try to do something that will make you and your fellow students’ lives better. I thought IB students didn’t have enough food or snack choices, so I got a partnership with the nearby Legend Heights Restaurant and put vending machines in the IB Common Room and Student Services Centre areas. It then developed into the Ventures student business ECA. Overall, the most important thing is to try to overlook rankings and find the school that you would be most happy at, whether that be the school culture, location or academic intensity.

7. Which word of each pair describes you best?

• Volleyball/Basketball: Volleyball
• Chocolate/Vanilla: Vanilla
• TV/Book: TV
• Hutong/Sanlitun: Sanlitun