"The Person Who Says It Cannot Be Done Should Not Interrupt the Person Doing It"

Shell Wu

In Part I of my interview with Shell, she answered questions about her transtion from rural Inner Mongolia to Bethesda, Md. and then back to China, but this time to one of the top high schools in Beijing, and then on to Beida, the Harvard of China. 

But she didn’t stop there. She took the risk of leaving Beida and transfered to a university in the US. In Part II, Shell talks about her time in the workforce and then to her time working and then pursuing her MBA at Northwestern’s Kellogg School. She enrolled there with a plan that has now resulted in a new business back in China. 

She’s committed to making education for students in China more than just preparing for the Gaokao. She's traing students to give back to their community and country. This ethical approach should inspire many, not just from China, but from every place where there are students. To paraphrase a famous quote: philosophers only interpret the world; the point is to change it.

http://www.one-edu.org

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11. What did you do after your undergraduate program in business and mathematics?

I did pension actuarial consulting for 5 years and sales effectiveness consulting for 1 year at Towers Watson.  I started in our Washington, DC office, and later transferred to our Beijing office.  

12. You then went on to the MBA program at Kellogg. Can you describe your experience there?

When I applied for my MBA, I knew this would be my last time in school.  I think that I missed out on a lot of opportunities at my undergraduate university, and I wanted to learn from my mistakes.  I wanted a different experience and I wanted to push myself outside my comfort zone.

This time around, I had a much more defined goal in life.  I had an education start-up idea, and I designed my whole MBA experience at Kellogg around my start-up.

In addition, I tried to participate in activities that I had never ventured into before, such as Improv and Special K! (a Kellogg student musical production).

I got so much out of the one year I was at Kellogg.  It was truly a transformational experience.

 

13. You did some really interesting research while you were at Kellogg. Can you describe at least one of the projects you worked on?

I did extensive research for my start-up project.

The most valuable part of the experience is learning the design thinking process, including the skills and concepts of empathizing with others, ethnographic research, probing and prototyping.

It was mind-opening to understand how user-centered design can bring out innovative ideas that can solve real problems.

14. Have you had important mentors during your education? If so could you describe them?

I think my most important mentors were my parents.  A lot of my values and work ethics come from them.  My parents are traditional, but because they have lived in the US on and off for more than 6 years, they are more open minded and hands off than most other Chinese parents.  Also, they went through the cultural revolution and had to work on farms and in factories.  They have experienced a lot more hardships in life than our generation, so they have accumulated a lot of wisdom.

I, now, have a professional mentor whom I was matched with via the Cherie Blair Foundation.  Having a mentor in any form is tremendously helpful in life.  We are very open with each other and discuss professional as well as personal issues.  It has taught me to look at issues in a different perspective.

Cherie Blair Foundation

15. You clearly have many exceptional talents and had many options. You have decided to go back to China and to start an education business that has as its motto: “The world can be different because of you. One can make a difference.” Can you explain your vision for transforming education and the experience of students there?

We want to provide an experiential learning platform for students, which is quite rare in China.  The mission of our organization is to educate and empower Chinese youth on social issues.  We hope to provide an open platform for our students to become well-rounded individuals while developing their leadership skills, broadening their horizons and building their sense of social responsibility.  

We think the foundation of an individual's success is not built on how well he/she does on exams, but how he/she approaches and solves problems.  We also think an individual's success must be beneficial to society in order for our society itself to develop and succeed.

Therefore, we hope to create social impact by (1) complementing the current Chinese education system for its students and (2) supporting social causes and creating social impact by coaching student-led social innovation projects in China.  

Shell performing at Kellogg

 16. Why do you think service is so important for students?

Service is a great way for students to better understand the society we live in and how they can impact society in a positive way.

We mainly interact with people similar to our own socio-economic status, and we forget how diverse the world can be.  Service can be a bridge for that knowledge gap.

In addition, service, if well performed, can show students how we can each make a difference.  And small differences will sum up to big changes.

 

Shell belting it out

17. Your passion for education and for making positive social change is inspiring? When did you first begin to think this is what you wanted to do?

In a way, I think education has always been a part of my passion.  When I was in high school, I wanted to become a high school teacher and apply to Beijing Normal University.  My teacher and my parents convinced me not to do so, because I could test into Peking University, which is considered one of the best universities in China.  I still remember in my UVA application, I wrote that I want to become a teacher, and bridge the gap between the US and China.  

I was very dissatisfied with how things are in China when I returned to China for work.  I had many hopes and dreams, and I felt that I was not accomplishing them.  I blamed it on the cultural and social environment.  I wanted to return to the US, and I applied for an MBA.  However, when I received my admission letter from Kellogg, I started to question my motives and behavior.  I realized that I was always complaining, but never tried to do anything to change the things that I thought was unfair or wrong.  And I started to think that I did not have the right to complain when I did not try to make things better.  This realization encouraged me to try to do something that will have a positive impact.  I can't claim that things can't be changed if I didn't try.  And I believe if we do try to change things, the change will happen, in one way or another.

18. What qualities to you wish to instill into the students and schools who become a part of your venture?

To the students: 

Self awareness and social awareness are the most important.  In addition, team work, communication, empathy, critical thinking, creative thinking, cross-cultural mindset and other valuable leadership skills.

To the schools:

Understand the importance of civic education and skill building in a student's education.

19. What are the biggest challenges you face?

Convincing parents and students to invest in something that is more valuable for the long-term.

Demonstrating the value of something that is not tangible like a test score.

20. Do you think students in school now have different mindset than you did when you were their age?

I think students and parents, nowadays, are even more practical and competitive.  I feel that all our students are constantly stressed and super busy, and everything they do is focused around what will help them get into a better university.  I have never taken an after school class on test prep when I was in high school, but it is disgustingly common now.

It has taken all the fun out of learning.

   

21. If you are successful in your venture do you think you will expand your business outside of China?

Yes. Would love to. Would like to follow the "Teach for All Network" model if that day comes.

                                              Changing education paradigms

22. What makes for a successful entrepreneur?  Do you have advice for others who have dreams of following their passions and creating positive change?

I think the most important advice is to follow your instincts and intuition.  We often spend a lot of time over analyzing issues, in which case we are over working our left brain.  My professional mentor often encourages me to use my right brain to look at different issues, and it has helped me to paint a much clearer picture of what I want in my career and life.

The life of an entrepreneur is not an easy one.  It takes a lot of perseverance, patience and guts.

 23. Do you consider yourself a role model?

Role model is a big phrase, and I am not sure if I can live up to the phrase.  However, I certainly hope that what I am doing can be an inspiration for others, and many people have told me that they have been inspired.

24. Anything else you want to add?

This is a very comprehensive list of questions.  I think it covered everything I wanted to say.

 Shell shows us how. I don’t just mean that she give a formula for success. One of the problems with education centers on  the often misguided efforts to find a simple and single template that fits all students. This template can be a test score or a set of AP courses; learning to learn, of course, involves many other skills. Shell has discovered this through personal experience and now through her efforts to get students in China to involve themselves in civic affairs and service. In this endeavor  she represents one of the new leaders in China who values ethics and education and learning more than the name of a university or degree.  Her parents, teachers and mentors should be very proud of her. I am grateful she has taken the time to share her insights and story.

For all those in education who want to learn about the new ways to instill lifelong skills in students please visit her website.

http://www.one-edu.org/

There are case studies and profiles and much more to inspire new set of entrepreneurs, educators and students.

Shell's Graduation from Kellogg