CAS Success Stories

“I had a unique personality and strong individuality when I was young. My middle school days were a bit of a mess as I was lost and trying to find myself, although looking back, I had as much fun as I wanted to have. 

But when I came to CAS in Junior year, I finally found my ambition. Many thought it was an unrealistic dream for me, but I wanted to become a Wall Street financier just like the ones from the movies and eventually start my own business. 

After speaking with my mentors at CAS who have gone through the same exact career path, my head cleared up and I wanted to study hard to become like them. I was more determined than I had ever been to give my 100% to studying. It was difficult, but with a solid goal and dream, I had no reason to give up. Looking back, maybe the energy I accumulated during middle school helped a bit. 

At last, my ACT score increased from 17 to 31 and I received a 4.0 GPA, which got me into NYU, the school that I thought was realistically impossible for me to get into. 

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, I’m taking online courses at NYU in Seoul, but I am so proud and excited to become a New Yorker sometime soon. I have come to realize that hard work pays off and will continue to study hard.” 

“I was that free soul who used to shop online for the newest luxury clothing, shoes and bags, and have fun hanging out with my friends wearing the clothes I bought. Thinking back, I really let my parents down in many situations I put myself into. I spent my days just heedlessly wandering and searching for new interests in life such as fashion rather than having a professional ambition. But I was sure that I had as much knowledge as an expert when it came to fashion and luxury goods. 

My counseling teacher introduced me to CAS and I decided to come here. At first,  I was so unaccustomed to the intensive care and interest from the teachers here. However, I finally opened up and they eventually became not only a mentor but also a friend and sometimes even family to me. We talked about my future direction together and brainstormed for my roadmap. Derrick asked, “What do you like the most?”, to which I answered without hesitance, “Buying the newest luxury clothes!” 

A few days later, Derrick came back to me with instructions on how I should create my fashion portfolio utilizing my interest in luxury brands and reinterpreting them in my own way, as well as what fashion schools I could apply to with this portfolio. Most importantly, he told me about what a great life I could have in the future and convinced me to study hard for the SAT/ACT to get into those schools. I understood and studied harder than I ever had. Of course, it wasn’t easy, but I finally got into my dream school, FIDM in California, where I have been broadening my views in fashion. Without my time here at CAS, I cannot imagine how my life would have been. I still keep in touch with Derrick time to time as he is my lifelong mentor.” 

“I have a great interest in computer programing. From JavaScript to Python, I wanted to master all the programming languages and start participating in project-based competitions and eventually open a startup company. By coming to CAS, I was able to have a tailored curriculum that allowed me to adjust my schedule to study computer programming. I also enjoyed having discussions and mentoring sessions with CAS teachers who had startup experiences, which prepared me to become a better entrepreneur. 

As a result, I graduated 1 year early and got a full scholarship from the University of Illinois - Chicago. I am very happy to be able to start the career I wanted. With the help of CAS teachers, I was able to focus on my dream and take the right path toward it. I plan to transfer to a college with a higher ranked computer engineering program in 2 years, and CAS teachers have been actively supporting me throughout this process as well. I look forward to becoming a great programmer and an entrepreneur in the future.”