The Lunar New Year is a time to celebrate heritage, honor traditions, and share joy across communities. For many Asian Americans, however, this season can also serve as a stark reminder of the struggles we face due to enduring stereotypes and racism. As the founder of Open Classroom Experience (OCE), a program dedicated to bridging cultures and fostering understanding of Asian emerging markets for American youth, this issue is deeply personal to me. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s...
10 days ago • 3 min read
I talk to so many teens who are eager to build… But here’s the common problem: most of them are stuck because they’re spinning their wheels without a clear plan. They have big ideas but no structure. Tons of energy but no direction. They’re trying hard but not strategically—wasting time on things that don’t move the needle. Here’s the good news: we’re hosting a FREE live ideation session on February 1st to help ambitious teens take that first critical step toward turning their passions into...
17 days ago • 3 min read
Here’s the cold hard truth: The college admissions game? Overcrowded. Internships? Hypercomeptitive. Your passion? Not enough- unless you know how to turn it into impact. How to stand out? WE INNOVATE FOR GOOD. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks: 📈 Forget Goal-Setting, Here’s What Actually Works Read More → 🎨 Best tools for building your passion project Read More → 📘 Ready for some...
24 days ago • 2 min read
Hey Changemakers, When was the last time you were hit with an idea so big it made you rethink what’s possible? After hearing today’s story, you’ll realize how one bold vision can spark real change—even in places you’d never expect. Meet Saanika Parkhi, an alumna of OCE 2021, who’s on a mission to transform healthcare in India’s arranged marriage market. Armed with degrees in Biotechnology Business, she’s blending science and cultural insight to make genetic testing accessible for family...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Hey Changemakers, Imagine being a teen today: Competing for spots at top colleges and internships. Struggling to stand out among thousands of other applications. Wondering how to channel your passions into something meaningful. Sound familiar? Instead of waiting for opportunities to come to you, how about creating them? Ready to learn a proven process to turn your ideas into impactful projects that showcase your creativity, leadership, and unique perspective? Join our FREE live ideation...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
I’m about to do something we’ve never done before at Open Classroom Experience... For the first time, we’re hosting a FREE live group ideation session on February 1st using the LUMA framework—the exact method we use in our program to help teens co-create innovative solutions to real-world challenges. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks: 📈 Forget Goal-Setting, Here’s What Actually...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
As 2024 wraps up, here are 24 lessons I picked up over the last 365 days. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks: 📈 Forget Goal-Setting, Here’s What Actually Works Read More → 🎨 Best tools for building your passion project Read More → 📘 Ready for some real talk? Read More → 1. Clarity comes when you stop chasing everything 2. Long-term vision = no time wasted on short-term distractions...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
It’s that time of year again—goal-setting season. But honestly, I’ve never found it to be all that effective in helping me make decisions or take action. For example, I used to set a goal to seek out meaningful experiences and accelerate my personal growth, but I always ended up falling short because I lacked clarity. I didn’t have a clear roadmap for how to actually achieve that growth, how to become a person of depth and substance? It felt like setting goals was just wishful thinking,...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
I know what you’re thinking: "Venture capital? Seriously? I’m still in high school, cramming for finals—why would I even care?" Here’s the deal—venture capital (VC) isn’t just for seasoned pros with years of experience under their belts. It’s the playground where bold ideas meet big money. In fact, many of today’s top startups, from Instagram to Snapchat, were founded by young minds with bold ideas and a lot of hustle. So, if you've got a passion project or game-changing solution, VC might...
2 months ago • 5 min read