The campus was alive with summer cicadas, but what really warmed us were two alumni who came back to give back.

Sean Li​ joined YCIS Chongqing in the Early Childhood Education section and spent nearly ten years here. Now finishing high school in the US, he returned to Chongqing this summer and became one of the youngest volunteer guides at the Stilwell Museum. Throughout the break, he conducted bilingual tours to visitors from around the world, sharing how the city evolved from a wartime hub into a global metropolis. He barely mentioned the praise he received from guests — instead, he sent his former YCIS teacher a voice message:

"I've pulled together some material from the museum — would it be possible to bring it back to YCIS and share with current students? I've already mapped out both online and offline format."

While refining the plan with the teacher, Sean said something that gave the other end of the line a quiet pause:

"This isn't a one-time thing. As long as the school doors are still open, I'd like to keep giving back — for as long as I can."

Jason Jiang, who spent four formative years at YCIS, had just received his offer from New York University when he wrote to the co-principals — hoping to do something for the younger students before he left for university. That is how the session "Preparing for University Admissions"​ came to be. The session covered everything from school selection, essays, and time management to the anxieties and certainties along the way. Jason shared all the mistakes he made and the lessons he learned – holding nothing back. The audience was fully engaged. The school CUGO, Mr. Antonio Gomes remarked: "I rarely see secondary students stay this engaged for a whole session. Jason's advice really landed with them."

Sean and Jason are just two examples of what YCIS alumni are like – no matter how far they go, none of them really lets go of this place. In their own ways, they've shown us what "alma mater" really means: no matter how far our students go, they always look back and want to light the way for those who follow.