Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/1531851
Prior to the birth of his first child, Raymond Hu visited the TFS website. He learned that it was a prestigious independent school in Canada and admired the "beautiful buildings and campus." He thought to himself, "One day, when I have a child, I'd like to send them here." Not too long after, he and his wife, Fei Jiang, had their firstborn. In 2016, when they were deciding where to send their son Justin to school, Raymond suggested TFS and Fei agreed. "We felt fortunate to get admitted," says Raymond, "and that Justin's experience has been extremely positive right from the start." "He loved it from the very first day," Fei confirms. The couple came to Canada from China in 2007. Part of what attracted them to TFS was the international focus of the school. They wanted their son to have the opportunity to experience various cultures, to learn about other parts of the world and meet people from different backgrounds. Despite not knowing the language themselves, the fact that their son would be learning French appealed to them as well. "At a young age, children have a greater capacity to learn a new language. Far better than adults. So we decided to put Justin in a school that would allow him to develop his language skills and thinking skills," says Raymond. "After two months, we visited the school and we noticed he was already able to communicate with his teacher. That gave us a lot of confidence that he'd be able to adapt to the French learning environment." "The school would record videos each month and share it with the parents," adds Fei. "You'd see your child go from a few words, to a few sentences, to being able to have a whole conversation in just a few months." By Raymond's estimation, children in China could have five to 10 times the workload compared to children in Canada. Keeping that in mind, he felt that learning another language on top of the rigorous program at TFS would provide an additional challenge for Justin, encouraging him to work hard and spend more time on his education. One of Raymond's fondest memories is from when Justin was in La p'tite école and the branch held one of its annual International Weeks. "The school organized a variety of activities to showcase different cultures, including arts, music and food and it really highlighted the many ways that TFS is an international school, providing opportunities for students to explore and understand what the culture looks like." For Fei, Justin's experience in athletics has stood out. Entering Senior School two years ago opened new opportunities to join sports teams. Last year, Justin explored basketball, soccer and badminton, eventually deciding to devote himself to the swim team and track and field. "He built up his confidence as a swimmer and competitor," says Fei. "He improved his results rapidly and really took pride in representing TFS." Although Justin hasn't decided on his future career path quite yet, he has demonstrated a strong interest in science and engineering, and expressed a desire to be an inventor. "Academically he is very independent," says Fei. "The teachers at TFS let students discover on their own and it encourages them to learn time management and manage their own workload accordingly. All of which will serve them well in the future." It doesn't hurt that Justin has loved going to TFS since the day he first stepped foot in the school. "Even in the summer, he can't wait to start the new year," says Raymond. As their son grew in the school, so did Raymond and Fei. Vice-President, Investment Advisor at TD Wealth, Raymond would come to La p'tite école and, using a bank he and Justin built out of Lego, teach children about money and saving. Fei, an advisor at Sun Life, was already involved in the Chinese community, as well as with other organizations such as SickKids Hospital. At TFS, she became a Class Rep for a year when Justin was in Junior School. Recently, Fei took the initiative with eight other volunteers in the Mandarin- speaking community to help the school improve communication with Chinese parents and families, translating TFS' weekly newsletters and other school communications into Mandarin for a community WeChat group, and relaying any questions or comments back to school administrators and staff. In 2023, she accepted an invitation to join the TFS Foundation Board of Directors and, along with Raymond, has encouraged other families to offer philanthropic support. Raymond and Fei made their own generous gift last year in support of the school's Master Campus Plan and the construction of L'Atelier, the new building at the Toronto campus that will break ground in 2025. "We know that tuition only pays for the daily operation of the school," says Fei. "We wanted to help the school in its goal to build new facilities. The new building will have a Design Studio for STEAM, a music wing with practice rooms, a multimedia room, an auditorium, and so many new spaces that will transform the everyday experience for students and we're happy to support this expansion." To make their donation, Raymond explains how they leveraged the tax incentives of making charitable contributions through gifts of securities. Having been an early investor in a stock that appreciated more than tenfold over the years, by gifting shares to TFS, Raymond and Fei were able to offset the capital gains tax and give more than they would have been able to otherwise. "Ultimately the school staff, principals, teachers, advisors and really everyone involved during the last number of years of interaction with us made us feel how much they care and realize how consistently they go above and beyond," says Raymond. "That impressed us and motivated us to be a part of the school. We felt compelled to donate and help TFS reach its goals, and it's why we're committed to continuing to support the school going forward." 73 TFS