Curious Cardinals Blog

The lull of summer boredom confined me to my room as the nerves of my upcoming sophomore year occupied my thoughts. As the COVID restrictions lessened going into the 2021 school year, I could no longer justify my procrastination and lack of motivation; I would be starting the school year in person without the grace period of trying out new things that freshman year offered. There were so many clubs and extracurriculars that I wanted to explore, but I lacked experience in many, and as a shy student, fear of failure and putting myself out there held me back from even trying. One club that I had always been interested in was MUN; as a student passionate about history, global relations, and research, it felt like the perfect intersection for all of my interests. However, my inadequate knowledge of politics and the rules of debate made me anxious to join a club I knew would be filled with outgoing and confident student members. When I expressed this to my sister, who was a Curious Cardinals mentor herself, she recommended that I find a mentor from Curious Cardinals, a program I had completed an online Cosmetic Chemistry class with that past spring. I was intrigued. But I assumed that this would look like finding a tutor who specializes in MUN and I wasn't sure if that's what I really wanted. However, after reading the profiles of these mentors and going through the detailed matching process, those assumptions were quickly dispelled. When looking at the mentor profiles recommended for me, I was shocked at how perfect they appeared as mentor matches for me. They shared qualities and passions with me. They were impressively well-rounded, accomplished, and not too much older in age than me. One of the women, Lydia, was described as someone who loved ancient history, classics, and languages and was studying at Harvard. Lydia sounded less like a tutor and more like an inspiration for whom I would want to be in 10 years.

Written by Audrey Wisch, co-founder & CEO, fall of 2022

For me, it started with avocado toast and ended with a race around the world. I am not kidding!! It was beyond challenging trying to figure out what to write about for my college essay. How could I distinguish myself in 2500 words that would essentially destroy or solidify my dream? As I struggled with where to begin and then how to end, the Hamilton lyrics "I am not going to miss my shot" played on autopilot in my head. Whatever I was going to construct had to be engaging, unique, soulful, poetic, creative, cool, layered, and brilliant. It also had to seamlessly reveal all of my best qualities without me sounding obnoxiously boastful or ridiculously humble. No pressure. No problem.

On June 1st, 2020, Alec and I launched our very first website. Curious Cardinals was officially born! 🎉

Looking for the perfect mentor to help your student improve their writing skills? Come out of their shell? Gain confidence in public speaking? Or does your kid already love to perform but want to try a fun new medium? Check out comedy writing with a mentor like Harvard alum Freddie Shanel! 

Mental Health Awareness Month, which takes place in May and aligns with the conclusion of the academic year, can be an extremely challenging and stressful time for students. Our students often express their appreciation for mentors who have recently experienced similar difficulties and understand the hardships they are currently enduring.

Mentor Reflections is our series where we hear from our mentor’s first-hand experience.
Today, we are sharing a reflection from Katie Fong (Stanford ‘22), a Curious Cardinal Mentor, regarding the gap year she took during her high school years. Read her thoughts below

May is mental health month and it coincides with end of the academic year, which can be an extremely challenging and stressful time for students. We often hear from our students how grateful they are to have a mentor who were in their shoes recently and get the struggle they’re going through.

We asked Katie Fong (BA, Stanford ‘22), a Curious Cardinal Mentor, about her thoughts on the matter. She reflects back at the four things she wished her parents had known about her mental health in high school to support her better. Read her reflections below.

When students see mentors who look like them excelling in any field, it gives them the courage to dream just as big. This Women’s History Month, we’re celebrating mentors inspiring the next generation of young women to be leaders, whether in STEM, the Humanities, or any passion field from game design to architecture! Is your student daunted by math and science? Could she use an exceptional mentor to show her all she’s capable of? What does fashion have to do with science?

Summer is fast approaching! Staring down the barrel of three months of unstructured time can be daunting for both students and parents: How can students stay engaged and avoid learning loss, but above all, enjoy themselves? We’re here to help your student make the most of their months off school!

“Risk more, think less, be yourself” - this is the mantra that we’ve repeated all month to address the confidence gap that’s engulfed our young girls.