Hi,
I’m Poly
Hello there, my name is Ran (Poly) Cheng, a people-oriented individual energized by meaningful exchanges and fresh experiences. My passion for connection shines through my initiatives—from steering group projects to igniting curiosity, to welcoming strangers into our community as a student ambassador. Being part of the school, I consider it my obligation to actively participate in advancing our campus and enhancing its visibility. I believe every challenge holds a valuable lesson, an perspective that allows me to embrace them with optimism and curiosity. I look forward to a future of cultivating deep connections, charting new territories, and becoming a source of positive energy and inspiration.
3 Months London Exchange Program
(3 out of 200+ candidates)
January - July 2024
Work Experience at London Nursery and Bank of East Asia
June 2024 & December 2025
Non-profit Cultural Heritage Project and "Buy42" Charity Club
From October 2024
Sustainable Wealth Management Club
From August 2023
Business Start-up Club
From November 2022
London Exchange Program
(3 out of 200+ candidates):
London Dwight High School
Jan. 2024 - Jul. 2024 ※ Exchange Student
The London Exchange Program presents me with the opportunity to leave my known world and experience life in one of the most cosmopolitan and historical places on the planet. Through this program, I will be able to engage in a new culture, improve my English communication skills, and gain new perspectives on education and daily life. This program is more than just a study abroad; it’s about crossing boundaries in cultures, learning independence, and opportunity to see how societies approached both traditions and modernism in regards to society. To me, it is an academic opportunity and personal development opportunity.
📖 Earned MYP certificate in transferrable MYP London classes and clubs
💰 Collaborated with Dwight London’s “Spark Tank” club, discussing business ideas and advertising
👀 Engaged in local tours, London Science Museum, and plays at The Globe (“Much Ado About Nothing”)
Internship at London
Little Lions Nursery
Jun. 2024 ※ Volunteer
During Work Experience week, I spent the week working for Little Lions Nursery, London. My first experience of stepping into a foreign work environment was here and I was keen and eager to see how young children are educated in a foreign society. This experience allowed me to get to play with small children, help the teachers with a bit of their work and get to observe how play, care and learning are all included in a special environment. When a little girl said I was the best teacher, it was the best part of the world. The experience was more than an opportunity to exercise responsible adult conduct and improved communication but also a way of gaining a larger educational perspective in a global environment.
👧 Assisted local, adult instructors to deliver lessons on math, music, art etc. to classes of 40+ primary school students
🌳 Guided classes to local park to plant trees and develop familiarity with natural environment
Internship at Bank of East Asia
Dec. 2024 - Jan. 2025 ※ Business Analyst
My Bank of East Asia internship was a life-altering experience in terms of finance. I closed the gap between textbook theory and reality by realizing banking is about people. Beyond learning procedures, I was assured in a business setting and witnessed the merit of patient, trusted customer service. It demystified the corporate world and reaffirmed my ambition to pursue a career in business, with real-world expertise and a sense of direction.
"Buy42" Charity Club
Oct. 2024 - Present ※ Student Liaison & Charity Organizer
My volunteering experience in high school with people who have disabilities in the community has been very life-changing. At first, I had assumed that it was just helping out—doing chores every day or organizing activities. But I found out it was about something deeper: genuine human connection.
I was instructed to listen, not with my ears, but with my heart. Communication was not about words, it was in a smile, a gesture, or just in a moment of silence. This was my lesson that empathy is indeed the bridge between people.
Employment for others was not about giving, in fact, it was about receiving. It changed my perspective of ability, of community, of what it truly is to impact. This was not volunteerism, it was a lesson in humanity.
💗 Enhanced popularity of China’s first O2O charity on Qibao Dwight’s campus establishing new off-line charity
🌟 Held school-wide charity sale, amassing USD $4000 in sales
"Secret of Knots" Non-Profit Cultural Heritage Project
Jan. 2025 - Present ※ Founder & President
I am the organizer of a non-profit cultural heritage club called Secret of Knots, which aims to expand Chinese heritage, especially knotted bracelets. We introduced the art of Chinese knotting to people all over the world. The intent of the project was to share the history and significance of this craft, while also allowing the participants to experience knot making themselves. In teaching, I hoped to create cultural connections, instill appreciation for Chinese cultural heritage and show participants that simple objects, like a knot, can be rich with meaning, beauty and tradition across borders.
🪢 Led 50+ offline peers and 1000+ followers via social media to share Chinese cultural heritage knot-making across China and beyond
🎨 Inspired by legacy of craftsmanship during trip in Jingde Zhen
🥰 Liaised with 100+ South American exchange students to share Chinese culture
Sustainable Wealth Management Club
Aug. 2023 - Present ※ Founder & Club President
Sustainable Wealth Management Club embodies financial education and rise the interest in high school students through all kinds of activities, including visiting banks and currency museums. The club gives young people an opportunity to learn real-life money management skills while experiencing the relationship between financial decisions and environmental impacts. Discussions, workshops, and community-based projects provide members the opportunity to challenge their thinking around sustainability, investments, and long-term responsibility. Overall, the club hopes to inspire students to develop a personal wealth plan that empowers them to build wealth as they contribute to a more sustainable world.
💬Recruited 10+ peers interested sustainable capital and invited a guest lecturer, Victor Tan, Senior Manager of Bank of East Asia’s Strategic Planning Department and Former VP of HSBC Strategic Planning Department
♻️ Discussed sustainable asset categories (e.g. purchasing manager’s index, producer price index, etc.) at market stages
✍️ Established WeChat Official Account - ISWOC
Mathlevi Youth Financial Club
Nov. 2022 - Present ※ Financial Literacy Student
Joining the Mathlevi Youth Finance Club helped me learn to connect math with real-life finance, budgeting, and investing while also building leadership skills. The most meaningful experience in the club was giving speeches at events, where I discussed financial literacy and responsible financial decisions. Initially, but each time I was able to speak in front of others, I became a bit more competent and learned to draw in the audience. Through the Mathlevi Youth Finance Club, I developed not only my financial literacy, but also improved communication skills and the ability to inspire others to make responsible financial decisions.
💸Collaborated group 4 people to sell body cream to pedestrians near Shanghai Jewish Refugees Museum to later donate to the RedCross
📈 Studied statistical analytical techniques and delivered keynote speech on international collaboration
My handicraft works and more activity highlights...
