Breakthrough Training Center

07/29/2025

I’ve now had two middle schoolers and worked with hundreds of middle school kids over the years. The truth is middle school is awkward and uncomfortable but also wonderful and free of any real grade implications (shhh that’s a secret but you’re building habits, not a resume quite yet).

Here is a compilation I put together to help incoming middle schoolers, based on my experiences as a teacher, mentor, parent, and countless interviews with successful high school students. I think the middle is the most difficult place to be, but a little bit of managing expectations goes a long way!

07/23/2025

Who’s packing for college soon? We’ve got a college packing list to help you stay organized! Some of our own favorite college items (shower caddy, separated organizers, and bins) are still being used decades later and have lasted us through adulthood so have fun picking your first dorm furniture and accessories! Our favorite items are ones that maximize storage in small spaces from Ikea or Daiso. Have fun packing!

07/23/2025

Summer is a great time to level up your skills! We’ve compiled a list of skills we wish we had in high school. Be honest, how many of these can you check off regardless of your age?!

06/07/2025

Congratulations graduates! Graduation season is here and at Breakthrough, we’ve been talking about things we wish we knew when we graduated (all those many years ago…)! We came up with a list of good life mantras to begin with upon hs graduation and our capybaras are here to remind you of these takeaways.

07/19/2022

SENIORS: Summer is a great time to start thinking about your college essay. I’m all about spreading out the work, because to me, it feels more doable when I break out the work. Take a look at some of my tried and true tips for successful college essays! It’s a process indeed, but with the right tools, anyone can be successful! Save for future referencing!

04/26/2022

Our two teams had a great day pitching ideas at the summit! The entire program was a great experience for all our high school students with competing, connecting, and collaborating! .ice_

04/11/2022

Recap of our Project Invent this past weekend!

Breakthrough Training Center's high school entrepreneurship program participated in Project Invent's Demo Day X San Diego, featuring project based learning and design thinking.

02/16/2021

Just a reminder that if you're stuck at home bored from the pandemic, are you doing something meaningful with your time in place of extracurricular activities you are missing out on? Something you LOVE, something to help you GIVE BACK to your community, something to CONNECT with others? Colleges aren't just looking for lists of things you've done, they want to know your character, how you've made a difference, and there's no time like NOW to make a difference!

04/16/2020

Hey kids bored at home during quarantine - here's a great competition for those ages 13-18!!

https://breakthroughjuniorchallenge.org The Breakthrough Junior Challenge aims to bring big ideas in life sciences, physics and math to people all over the w...

03/05/2020

Coach Daisy says if this were her student, she would advise them to say "umm" a little less, but she was nervous when they filmed it. Give it a click to see her in action and pay attention to the wreaths in her office when you interview with her next!

Several years ago, the big thing in front door decor was the coffee filter wreath. It's coming back strong! Daisy Phillips shares the new look.

02/12/2020

Has everyone see this? Taking it to the next level. I am interested to see if he gets in, I think he will!!

An extremely ambitious Charlotte high schooler (currently a senior at Ardrey Kell) is taking things to the next level in his attempt to get into Harvard. Ethan Kim, with the help of his friend Carson Philbin, wrote, filmed, and released an epic rap video after learning his Harvard application was pu...

07/31/2019

Definitely worth reading! Everyone has to write a cover letter at some point.

Never assume that you're the only qualified applicant applying for the job. Harvard career experts share tips on how to write a cover letter that differentiates you from everyone else.