"What Matters More Than Climbing the Ivy? - 2019 Educational Charity Lecture"

On November 17, 2019, the New York Youth Roundtable, in partnership with the International Leadership Foundation, hosted an educational public lecture in Long Island. The event, aimed at thanking members and supporters for their contributions to charitable causes throughout the year, drew nearly a hundred parents and students from the area.

The event featured two distinguished speakers, Emily Wu, founder of Golden Oak Academy and director at Operation Earth US, and Tim Reilly, admissions officer from Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill and founder of Way Education. They shared invaluable insights on achieving educational excellence and discussed their personal experiences in the field of education.

Emily Wu focused on strategic planning for high school students, outlining a year-by-year plan to help parents and students achieve their educational goals. She encouraged students to step out of their comfort zones and cultivate unique personal traits from freshman to senior year.

Tim Reilly complemented Emily's insights by discussing the shift in elite U.S. university admissions post-2016 reforms. He emphasized the importance of independence, passion, and authentic personal experiences in prospective students, advising parents to foster interest-led learning to enhance their children's proactive engagement with their education.

The event also featured a surprise segment where five experts from the finance and tech sectors shared their career success stories, offering advice on standout job interview tactics, career planning, effective workplace communication, and resilience in adversity.

The atmosphere was interactive and congenial, with frequent engagement between the speakers and the audience. During the Q&A, students eagerly sought advice from the experts. High school student volunteers played a significant role in organizing the event, from setting up the venue and preparing food to acting as junior journalists, photographing, and interviewing the speakers. Their commitment and civic-mindedness were highly praised by both organizers and participants, highlighting the event's success in fostering a supportive and educational community.

比爬藤更重要的是什么？ — 2019教育公益讲座

11月17日，纽约青年企业家俱乐部（NYYER）与国际领袖基金会（ILF）在长岛联合举办了一场教育公益讲座，以答谢俱乐部的成员与支持者们在过去一年中对慈善事业的贡献。当日有近百位家长和学生出席了此次活动。

主办方特邀了两位教育专家——金橡树学馆创始人兼青少年野外科考机构Operation Earth US的董事Emily Wu导师，与杜克大学与北卡教堂山大学的招生官兼Way Education的创始人Tim Reilly导师，与听众分享与交流了作为优秀教育工作者的心得体会。另外，活动还精心设置了一个惊喜环节，在两位导师的演讲后，5位金融和科技领域的大咖们上台与听众们分享了他们在职场中的成功经验。

Emily导师的演讲着眼于具体的规划。她详细地为家长们列出了高中四年的规划，指导他们步步为营，实现教育目标。她提到在高中的四年里，每一年的策略都有不同的偏重：9年级要敢于冒险，多样化地尝试兴趣爱好；10年级要打造个人特色，积极参加公益活动，主动回馈社会；11年级是全力冲刺期，不仅要考好标化考试，还要和推荐人建立好关系；12年级是申请大学的执行阶段。她特别鼓励到场的学生们要勇于走出自己的舒适区，培养自己的与众不同之处。

Tim导师的讲座与Emily导师正好形成了互补。Tim导师从更宏观的维度，与听众们剖析了美国精英大学的最新的教育改革和招生宗旨。他说道，传统的爬藤策略是让孩子在高中期间集齐各项成就，但这个策略在2016年的大学招生改革后已经行不通了。如今，顶尖大学要招的学生，必须具有高度的独立自主性和钻研精神，发自内心地充满动力与激情，还要有真实可信的个人经历。因此，家长们需要通过兴趣导向学习提升孩子的主观能动性，引导他们主动利用资源，化被动为主动。

在惊喜环节中，5位金融和科技领域的大咖们各放异彩，从不同的角度对观众们最关心的几个议题展开了探讨。探讨的话题有：面试中什么样的人能脱颖而出？如何选择职业方向和做好职场规划？如何高效地在职场中与人交流？如何在逆境中前行？

整个讲座的气氛轻松和谐，嘉宾与观众互动频繁。在问答环节中，到场的学生们也主动积极地向大咖们请教经验。另外，此次活动还有一大特色——现场的工作人员中有很多高中生志愿者。他们不仅帮助了活动前的现场布置和食物准备，在讲座期间还担当小记者，通过分工合作，为讲座做了全面的摄影和文字记录，并对嘉宾们进行了采访。孩子们的责任感和公益心获得了讲座组织者和参与者的一致赞赏。