Alexander Yan

A junior at Harrow School in Hong Kong, Alexander Cadan Yan is a driven student, competitive athlete, and world traveler. 

 

Though Alex enjoys striving and competing, and his many pursuits bring him joy as well as a sense of accomplishment, he is aware of the toll the pressure from all of this can have on a young person’s mental health. Through his own struggles and those he’s observed among his peers, Alex has become committed to the cause of youth mental health. 

 

Alex has seen firsthand the stigma and expectations that families place on their children and the impact it can have on their wellbeing. While balancing his academics and involvement in multiple extracurricular such as sports, music, charity, Alex has always felt a constant pressure to ‘succeed’ and ‘excel’, as he thought all his peers were doing the same if not more. This phenomenon now seems baked into what it means to be “successful” in life, and Alex witnessed many of his classmates experiencing the same struggles. 

 

Instead of just pushing ahead, Alex felt compelled to do something about the problem. Through his organization HI-SO (High Inside - Strong Outside), Alex aims to work with young people to better manage their time, hear from accomplished athletes and other figures about how they managed hectic adolescent careers, and effectively communicate with their parents and educators about their time commitments, needs, and emotional wellbeing. Recognizing that parents are an equally important part of the equation, HI-SO aims to also involve them in the conversation.

 

The pernicious impact of stress on young people is becoming increasingly evident each day. Therefore, the youth must be part of the solution. Creating a generation committed to balanced, healthy achievement.