Last June, fifteen members of the boys and girls varsity basketball teams, along with their coaches and chaperones, were invited to travel to China as part of China’s “Bridge of the Future” China-US youth exchange program.

The trip was fully funded by the Joe Tsai Foundation, who sponsors George School student Ziyi Xiong ’27, in gratitude for Ziyi’s experience in his first year at GS. The Foundation’s key mission is to promote sports as an integral part of education in China, and to inspire young people to pursue sports to both cultivate healthy lifestyles and as a way of contributing to their society.

“The generosity of the Joe Tsai Foundation is a testament to the work of our faculty and staff and their dedication to caring for all of our students,” said Athletic Director Kurt Ruch. “Each year, we welcome scores of students to our campus, provide them a home away from home, and offer them a world-class educational experience. Our faculty and staff engage in this work with a genuine interest in each student as an individual.”

The Bridge of the Future program is an initiative of the Chinese government to “foster meaningful exchanges, engage in philanthropic endeavors, and further strengthen the foundation for robust, stable, and sustainable Sino-US relations,” according to a representative from the Joe Tsai Foundation.

The trip came at a time of transition for George School, when former Head of School Sam Houser was at the end of his tenure. Incoming Head of School Justin Brandon was happy to step in, and arranged to accompany the group. It proved to be a perfect introduction for him to the global George School community.

“It was a fantastic trip in so many ways,” shared Justin. “Beginning with the fact that we were enthusiastically greeted by many of our local families and students at the hotel. Our students were so impressive—not only on the court, where they won their game; more importantly, they were kind, respectful, curious, and genuinely appreciative throughout the trip.”

The group’s schedule was packed full of cultural experiences that kept them busy from sunup through sundown; they visited Shanghai, Nanxun, Hangzhou, and Beijing over their seven-day trip. They toured the Bund, the Great Wall, and rode the bullet train from Shanghai to Beijing. And of course, they played some basketball.  

“Even though we were thousands of miles away from George School, we had a whole crowd of fans—current students, parents, and alumni—who showed up to cheer on our athletes,” said Justin. “It truly felt like I was joining a big, global family.”