To many, Madagascar might just be a reference from an animated movie. But for Alicia, it is the name she says proudly every time she introduces herself. Four years ago, that same girl could barely speak in public without blushing. Today, she has led students from more than 20 countries and is interning at the Brand Communication of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. The change was not a single dramatic moment. It came from four years of showing up, trying, and being pushed beyond her comfort zone at the International Campus, a place that taught her to stand on her own and embrace who she is.
Finding Her Voice
When Alicia first arrived in China, she ran into two quiet struggles. International students bonded quickly—everyone was navigating the same foreignness together. But that ease did not carry over to local students. A faint, unspoken distance just sat there. Underneath it all was her own shyness. "When I first came to China, I was very, very shy." For someone that introverted, stepping into a campus with students from over 60 countries was no small thing.
But the International Campus turned out to be the right place for it. "We are a very tight knit community," she says. "At least when it comes to international students, almost everyone knows each other." Almost everyone had once been the new kid fumbling through an unfamiliar language, so helping each other out became second nature. At the same time, campus life did not let her stay hidden. Group projects forced collaboration. ZIBS Global Leaders Series events put her face-to-face with industry leaders. Me & China corporate visits meant asking questions in front of experts. Leading the International Student Council meant running meetings for a multinational team. She could not retreat into silence anymore. So she learned to speak up.
Over time, practice did its work. She can now handle an interview without nerves and build real friendships with colleagues from across the world. More importantly, she stopped being pushed onto the stage and started walking toward the crowd on her own: joining panels at The Women's Day Conference, stepping into cross-cultural dialogue at the "Seine Dreams, West Lake Wisdom" Sino-French exchange, participating in Alibaba's ABH events, visiting the New Development Bank, and more. Along the way, she picked up a quieter lesson: "You have to be careful in the way you say things, because not everyone thinks the same. What's okay for you is not necessarily always okay for other people."
Having once needed help herself, she now works to "give every student a more fulfilling and vibrant student life." The chain came full circle: from being helped to helping others.
Embracing Her Roots
Beyond skills, Alicia found another kind of confidence at the International Campus: knowing where she comes from and carrying it with her.
That shift began at a ZIBS platform that brings together Chinese and African students. For the first time, she was in daily, natural contact with peers from across the continent. Shared cultural habits, similar features and ways of thinking gave her a sense of closeness she had not quite felt before. Every small interaction deepened her love for her own roots. And the International Campus, as it turned out, was exactly the kind of place that encourages you to share that love out loud.
At campus cultural festivals, she introduces Malagasy food and traditions with genuine excitement, joining friends from other countries to tell stories about Africa. You do not need to know every detail of your country's history, she believes. "As long as you're willing to share your own experiences, that's something people won't find in textbooks or on the internet."
Confidence Is the Best Passport
Alicia now works at the Brand Communication of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. She never planned on a career in communications. It was the International Campus's interdisciplinary curriculum that opened her eyes. "There's a lot of little things, little skills, little bits of experiences that I have picked up throughout my four years here that helped me get the position at Geely."
She credits a senior named Benjamin Dogani—someone who helped her reconnect with her African roots and offered guidance on both academics and career. "He's now working in China, someone that I look up to." Having a real, visible example right in front of her made the road feel walkable. Without the people she met on campus, she says plainly, she would not have gotten the job at all.
The cultural sensitivity and steady confidence she built through years of campus life have become her sharpest professional tools. Her career goals are clear: she wants to stay in the automotive industry or events planning. Cars have always been a quiet passion in her family—she grew up around that excitement—and now it has become part of where she is headed. Behind that goal lies a further direction: "I would hope to be able to share our culture and work towards a better understanding of Africa in general." She is already walking that path.
As the 2026 China-Africa Year of People-to-People Exchanges unfolds, young people like Alicia are turning an idea of a shared future into real, living stories. That is the truest reflection of the International Campus's philosophy of education: a multicultural environment, a close-knit community, abundant platforms for hands-on practice, and a commitment to helping students stand on their own.
About the Student of Distinction series
To recognize students with outstanding contributions in academics, research, extracurricular activities, and cross‑cultural communication, the International Campus has launched its first Student of Distinction award. The iZJUer Student Voices series will feature these students, documenting their growth and multi‑dimensional explorations on campus.
(Article: JIN Chenxi, CHEN Shuyi, ZHOU Jingning, CHEN Nuo; Photography: Rajomarison Alicia Mirindra; Editing: CHEN Nuo; Editing in Charge: GUO Jiyao, LI Yinan; Reviewer: YANG Yi; Final Review: QU Haidong)