DAIS Valedictorian Who is Raymond Bian? A so-called “genius kid” who took AP Calculus BC in 9th grade? A hard-working straight-A student who got 5s on almost all his AP exams and is going to pursue a challenging Computer Science degree? Or just a humble boy who loves playing games, loves playing the saxophone, and loves hanging out with friends? It was our honor to talk to Raymond at the end of his senior year at DAIS and to get to know him better.
Raymond (middle) with friends
Raymond came to Dalian American International School from a public school in the United States in Grade 8 because of his dad's work. He still remembers how anxious he felt on his first day of school, not knowing what to expect and how his classmates would welcome him. Sure enough, he immediately made friends. Living on campus with his family and being a member of the DAIS community has been a pleasure for Raymond since then.
Raymond’s favorite teachers at DAIS were Mr. Twaddell (Social Studies), Mr. Stofocik (English Language Arts), and Mr. Sim (Physics and Advisory), but Mathematics was still his major priority.
DAIS: Why do you like math?
Raymond: I was exposed to higher level math at quite an early age - and I liked it partly because I was good at it, but also because there is most usually one solution to any given problem. However, especially in competition math, there are many (some more elegant than others) solutions - and finding that one elegant solution is always an exciting and rewarding experience. That's the same with a lot of computer science as well, which is why I'm so interested in it.
Volunteering for DMECC Curious Kids program
That being said, Raymond’s life at Dalian American International school was much more than just studying. He enjoyed music, sports (volleyball and soccer teams), community events, and served as the Student Government Vice President for two years.
DAIS: What was the most memorable moment in your StuGov experience?
Raymond: Most memorable from Student Government was definitely planning the prom and winter dances - a lot of work goes into the events behind the scenes, from touring venues to scouting DJs with my fellow officers. The actual fun at the events definitely makes up for the work put in, though.
DAIS: What is your favorite music genre?
Raymond: Even though I play the saxophone, I'm not much of a music listener myself (especially when working) - I can't seem to concentrate when there are groovy beats pumping into my ear. That being said, I do enjoy listening to piano and guitar songs quite a bit - there is a certain vibe to lofi music that really calms me down.
DAIS: What was the most memorable moment during ACAMIS Football Tournament on DAIS campus this year?
Raymond: My friends always make fun of me for not scoring during the games, so I'll have to say the "socializing night" of the event. Even though I played volleyball at a soccer event 💀, it was fun making lots of new friends, especially with Xiamen International School. Michael, Mo, Evan, Louis - if you're somehow reading this - you made quite a few of our ACAMIS experiences 10x better!
DAIS: You received the Senior Athlete of the Year award because you successfully engaged in multiple sports at DAIS. Which one did you enjoy the most and why?
Raymond: Volleyball 100%. I had never actually played volleyball before the summer before 11th grade - so joining the team that year was my first real experience. I wanted to try it out because of the anime Haikyuu - and actually playing the sport I fell in love with through a screen was a special experience.
DAIS: How did your counselor help you during college application?
Raymond: I met with Mr. Donagher many many times during the college application process, for help from the activity list to essays to college lists to recommendation letters and beyond. He cleared up a lot of misconceptions I had during the process and his recommendation probably contributed significantly to my acceptances. Thanks to Mr. Sim and Ms. Armstrong for writing extremely helpful recommendation letters as well!
DAIS: You received six college offers. Which one did you pick and why?
Raymond: I picked Georgia Tech mostly because of its one-of-a-kind Computer Science program - Threads. I'm quite interested in machine learning and AI, especially with its ongoing revolution - and the threads at Georgia Tech will allow me to study those areas in depth.
Graduation
Raymond puts a high value upon personal relationships. He said he would really miss his family and friends after he moves back to the US.
DAIS: How did your family support you during your senior year?
Raymond: My family has supported me throughout my entire life - and especially during my high school and senior life. From giving me the encouragement to trying new things to giving me feedback on my essays to just being there for me - I cannot thank my parents enough on my journey thus far.
DAIS: What’s your career plan?
Raymond: Don't die! 🤣 In all honesty, I'm looking to study CS and dive deep into machine learning. As the embodiment of a multicultural student, natural language processing has always struck me as a field that integrates what I'm interested in with who I am - so maybe you'll be using my contributions to translate your homework in the coming years 🙂
NHS Induction Ceremony
DAIS: What advice would you give to younger students at Dalian American International School?
Raymond: Conquer change! Don't be afraid to try out new things. Don't be scared when new things come to you. When you become a conqueror of change - you'll find out a lot more about yourself and the things around you compared to just staying in your comfort zone.
We cannot but wish Raymond all the best in his life journey! We are sure he can approach all future changes right - just like he did when he first came to Dalian.
.jpg?h=449&iar=0&w=887&rev=27724338e2084a679e107da7d6e2df13&hash=C25651FCCDE122DA55E2AB68A466CD85)
