Houston Christian High School (HCHS) is a college preparatory school on a 45-acre campus, which first opened its door to students in the Greater Houston Area in 1998. Two decades later, its student population has increased from just over 200 to 500, along with an expansion of its academic and extracurricular programs.
Being able to understand and respect different cultures is considered a critical component of leadership and for this reason HCHS holds an international day each year to nurture these qualities in its students and to promote and celebrate the cultural diversity that is a feature of Houston.
The school’s international day is called “Many Cultures, Many Nations, One God Assembly” and this year it took place on February 25. Each of the consulate generals and diplomatic missions in Houston was invited to send representatives to join in the celebration of different cultures by taking part in a panel. Sophie Chou, the Director of the Education Division of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Houston, attended to represent Taiwan.
The day began with a march of students carrying the flags of 16 countries. This was followed by a full program, including prayer, spoken word performances, an Arabic Christian song, a Chinese lion dance, a Tai chi Hip Hop dance remix, K-Pop club dance, and a Mexican folkloric dance. The diplomatic representatives taking part in the panel were each introduced and the students asked them about their countries. For example, some students asked Sophie Chou how Taiwanese people spend their free time. She told them about recreational activities such as Jet Ski riding and mountain climbing that are very popular among young people who enjoy outdoor activities, and she also took advantage of this opportunity to talk with the students and teachers there about many other aspects of Taiwan.

Photo:Gregory Fossati, a student at HCHS, carrying the national flag of the Republic of China (Taiwan), during the march of flags.