Meet Jesse: Student Sailor
Jesse H., now a junior at Shanghai American School, took an unconventional path last school year. For seven months, he stepped away from the classroom to train with the Chinese National Sailing Team. It wasn’t an easy choice, but with the support of his family, friends, teachers, and counselors, Jesse charted a way to pursue his passion while staying connected to the SAS community.
How did you get involved with sailing?
I first got involved with sailing during COVID. My mom thought I stayed home too much, so she wanted a sport that allowed me to be outside and train. As I continued, coaches saw potential in me, and I've taken it to a competitive level over the past few years.
How did the opportunity to take a gap year to train with the Chinese National Sailing Team come about?
My coach connected me with the coach for the national team and provided me with this opportunity to train with them. What this meant for me as a student was a large time commitment. Obviously, I wasn’t able to train full-time and be a student, so that’s where the decision for me to take a gap year came in.
When I was first presented with this opportunity, I was scared at first. But as I connected with my teachers and college counselors, and we talked it through, I realized it wasn’t so big of a risk and knowing that I had Shanghai American School to return to, it honestly wasn’t that scary.
How did SAS support you through this decision?
Everyone was incredibly supportive – my teachers, counselor, principal. They reassured me I’d be in good hands when I came back. Even while I was away, I stayed in touch with teachers and friends, which really made me feel connected. When I returned, a lot of teachers I’d never even spoken to before already knew why I’d been gone and asked me how I was doing. That meant a lot.
What was training like?
When you're surrounded by such a group of high-level individuals, you feel the pressure to perform and to do better than you would typically do. These are 20, 25, 30-year-old individuals I was training with, while I'm a 17-year-old, so naturally there's a slight gap there. But as time progresses, you realize that it's just a change of mindset. I realized I have this incredible opportunity, surrounded by this group of talented people, and I wanted to take advantage of that. You learn to ask questions, and you learn to utilize resources. And as time went by, we developed a very close community because we lived together, we ate together, we trained together, and honestly, it was great.
Now that you're back at SAS, how did the admin, counselors, and teachers help you transition back to being a student?
Upon rejoining, I met my teachers after class for extra support. They reassured me I would be fine and helped me catch up. My friends also made me feel like I had never left, which was great. I want to give a big shout out to my principal Mr. Velasco and my college counselor Mr. Lavender. They really helped me every step of the way, and even now that I'm back in SAS, they always make me feel really informed and supported.
Welcome back, Jesse! Whether in the classroom or out at sea, you’re charting a course filled with courage and possibility.
