Zelin Xu
"The world belongs to those who read"
— Rick Holland
It’s easy to find Zelin Xu in his small, sunny Santa Cruz town. No, he’s not out surfing the waves, or riding the world famous roller coaster that marks this beautiful coast line. No, you won’t find him out fishing on the pier or body surfing in the cold, crisp water. Where you would have found him, nearly any day in his two years in this amazing California beach town, is with his nose in a book.
Yes, Zelin Xu is a bibliophile or bookworm; an individual who loves and frequently reads books. At first, Zelin’s Gateway coordinator was concerned. He couldn’t get a hold of Zelin through his cellphone – Zelin was never online, he didn’t seem to text, use WeChat or other Social Media like most teenagers. But, we soon found out that was just his personality. Zelin just liked to read and study – a lot! Zelin made time with his host family Mom every morning by eating breakfast together to start of their days. They often had dinner together as well, in their sunny cottage by the sea. As the head of the Chemistry Club, Zelin had many activities he was engaged with at the Kirby campus including his top academic achievements. As the top math student in the school. Zelin won a California State Math competition as well. Like many American students graduating in June 2018, Zelin graduated with a remarkable 4.4 GPA. His focus on science and math in high school was remarkable and rewarding and when added to his extra curricular interests in music and dance, made him an interesting candidate for many universities.
Attending the University of California at Santa Barbara in the fall of 2018, Zelin will experience one of the Top 50 Universities in the 2018 Best Colleges ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
Host Family Mom, Linda Johnson, with poodle Lucy, and Zelin Xu during his Junior year.
Zelin was an incredible student to host.
He is incredibly bright and was willing to try many different things during his time in America. We had mutual respect for each other. I was so proud of his many accomplishments and very much enjoyed our time together.
— Linda Johnson, Host Family Mother.
Georgiana Bruce Kirby Preparatory School offers students from other countries a compelling blend of California culture and a world-class college prep education, with a healthy balance of electives, advanced math and science classes, and a fully-integrated performing and visual arts program. Kirby welcomes applications for grades 9-12. Zelin has achieved outstanding success due to his dedication and focus. Gateway Education congratulates him!