When Yuanlong Dai, a senior at School Without Walls, found out that he was going to be spending the summer at Emory University through the OSSE Scholars Summer Enrichment Program, he didn’t know what to expect. This fall, Yuanlong will travel back to Emory to begin his freshman year at a school that he now knows is a “diverse community” that will “help me grow as a person and allow me to learn a lot of new things.” While at School Without Walls, Yuanlong says that he has appreciated the opportunities he’s had access to, including volunteering at the panda sanctuary in Chengdu, China through a DCPS study abroad trip and playing on the school’s ultimate frisbee team. During his junior year, Yuanlong interned at Asian American LEAD, an organization that empowers Asian American youth. “I want to help high schoolers in my community realize they don’t have to fall into stereotypes and that they can be themselves and can make an impact on their communities in their own way.” For students who are intimidated by the workload at School Without Walls, Yuanlong has advice to help students succeed. “Pace yourself” and divide up your large projects into more manageable tasks. “It makes you feel like you’re accomplishing something every day.” #DCPSGoesToCollege
