When 19-year-old Cecile typed “China + English program + University” into the search bar for the very first time, the warm Honduran sea breeze was drifting past her window. She had no idea that pressing Enter—so lightly, so casually—would become the moment that quietly launched the most defining voyage of her life.A few months later, she found herself standing in the Shanghai night, watching the lights bloom along both sides of the Huangpu River. The city was vast, unfamiliar, brilliant—yet in a way she couldn’t quite articulate, it resonated with the future she had always imagined.This was where she was meant to be.
And from here, her story with AEBS would begin.
A Child of Family Business, Searching for Answers on the Other Side of the World
Cecile grew up in a household shaped by the rhythm of international trade. Her family had warehouses, products, supply chains—and a social media presence run by her parents with a loyal following. But there was always one unmistakable gap, one she had sensed even as a child:They had never truly entered the Chinese market.“I’ve always felt that China was our ‘next step,’”she said, her voice carrying both the sharp intuition of youth and a quiet, instinctive certainty.So when it came time to choose a university, programs that offered only Chinese-language courses or only business classes were crossed off her list one by one.
What truly drew her in was AEBS’s interdisciplinary model—a place where she could study both Chinese and business administration.“I wanted an education that would help me genuinely understand the Chinese market—not just skim the surface of the language.” Coupled with Shanghai’s openness, diversity, and welcoming environment for international students, Cecile made her decision with almost no hesitation.She did not arrive in China by accident.She chose China—deliberately, courageously, wholeheartedly.
In Shanghai, Every Day Feels
Like a New “First Step”
After arriving at AEBS, Cecile felt as if someone had pressed the accelerate button on her life.What thrilled her most were the classes. In Chinese lessons, an unfamiliar language slowly transformed into something vivid and alive. Teachers used real-life examples to explain vocabulary, turning “textbook Mandarin” into “the Mandarin of everyday life.”In accounting, formulas were tucked inside real business cases. Professors made even the driest numbers come alive, revealing the logic behind how companies truly operate.
She often says,“They’re not reading from a textbook—they’re showing us how the world works.”But what reshaped her the most was AEBS’s multicultural environment:Learning, debating, and doing projects with classmates from around the world; Swapping foods from their home countries in the cafeteria; Discussing cultural differences, personal journeys, and the many ways people grow…These exchanges had no boundaries—yet step by step, they helped her cross boundaries of her own.“I’ve become more outgoing, and more confident in expressing myself.” To Cecile, this is the clearest transformation she has undergone since coming to AEBS.
Language Was a Challenge — but That Challenge Is Becoming Her Strength
Of course, life across cultures does not come without its difficulties. And language—undoubtedly—was the biggest one.“In class, I can follow everything. But after class, when I want to have deeper conversations with my classmates, I still get stuck,” she admitted honestly.But she never backed away. Instead, she created her own “language strategy”:She wrote down every sentence she didn’t understand and asked classmates with stronger Chinese for help. She invited others to correct her pronunciation. She saved countless real-life Chinese dialogues on her phone and listened to them during every spare moment.This effort—simple, even clumsy at times, yet unwavering—allowed her Chinese to grow like a plant in warm water: gently, gradually, and steadily.Now, she can speak with her classmates naturally, and express her ideas with far greater confidence. She laughs, “Language used to be my biggest challenge—now it’s becoming the part of me that grows the fastest.”
Her Future, Quietly Expanded by Shanghai
For the future, Cecile feels no confusion. She knows exactly what she wants: to build connections, broaden her resources, and enable her family’s beauty business to link with China in the years ahead. The professors, classmates, activities, and programs at AEBS have all become part of the “future network” she is constructing.She believes that learning is neither about leaving nor returning — it is about connecting two worlds together.
To Future AEBS Students: Give It Your All, and You Will See Miracles
If she were to offer one piece of advice to students considering AEBS, she would say: “You must make up your mind. This is a place worth giving your full effort.”A diverse community, intensive courses, and interdisciplinary training will bring pressure — but she believes that once you open yourself up, you will meet a completely new version of who you can be.
From Honduras to Shanghai, a Young Person’s “World Map” Is Being Redrawn
Cecile’s story is a true portrait of cross-cultural youth growth. She came with the mission of her family business, with a thirst for knowledge, and with curiosity about the unknown. And in Shanghai, at AEBS, she is experiencing a journey of mutual growth:She is seeing the world — and the world is seeing her. This is how the power of youth is gradually illuminated. Her map is expanding, and from here, her life is unfolding toward a farther horizon.