Elaine

We began working with Elaine during her sophomore year, shortly after her school reopened for in-person learning. Within a year, her world would change dramatically.
In our first session, we planned her junior-year courses, summer activities, and encouraged her to finish strong. Elaine excelled academically, balancing AP and IB courses, but her true passion was art—bold, message-driven pieces tackling complex issues. She earned Scholastic awards for her innovative work, including a piece depicting the pressures of education through a boy constructed from homework and seated in front of a UPC code symbolizing the manufacturing of students. She was also the only high schooler to exhibit at China’s first art show on body dysmorphia and eating disorders.

Eager to explore her multidisciplinary interests, Elaine took an Abnormal Psychology course at a U.S. college, toured campuses, and returned to China for a month-long workshop on sustainable fashion. China went back into lockdown midway through junior year and her family spent four months living in a hotel. To restore stability, we helped her navigate the process for transfer to a U.S. boarding school.

By August, Elaine agreed to repeat junior year at her new school in the US—a transformative decision. She thrived, joining the golf team as its only female member, founding the school’s first AAPI Club, and creating a powerful art piece titled Railroaded, contrasting the contributions of Chinese migrant workers to U.S. railroads with the Covid-era media backlash against Chinese Americans. She also created a TikTok documentary celebrating her mother’s hometown in China, garnering over 100K views.

Elaine sought a college blending her passions for art, psychology, culture and experiential learning. Accepted early to Northeastern University’s “NU In” program, she began her freshman year in Rome, where she continues to immerse herself in art, language, and culture, broadening her worldview and shaping an extraordinary future.