Breakthrough Training Center

08/22/2026

Taking new students now, DM if interested! Follow along for free tips and tricks each week!

06/16/2026

Watching this video of myself from 1996 was a trip, but also a reminder of all the experience and knowledge I have now, so here’s what I’d tell myself at 14:

1) Friends do matter, who you surround yourself with will either uplift you or just as easily tear you down. Surround yourself with good people: seek to be and be with kind hearts, open minds, generously helpful hands, and happily honest, but also ones who will help you to stay on the course, not be too superficial, and also want to work hard and do well.

2) The first heartbreak is the hardest, the rollercoaster of emotions, the frustration, the fear, anxiety, crushing defeat and aching heart is no exaggeration. Feel all the feels and enjoy the ups and downs of relationships but also remember that you are more than your relationship. And ps no person is worth more than a week’s worth of mourning.

3) Learn more while you are capable and young! I used to hate hearing old people tell me this, but now that I’ve reached that milestone I get why. Your young brain has so much more potential to retain and absorb and continuously learn and grow. Try the new hobby, join the team you are unsure about, do the thing that scares you or seems like a lot because you can! All those songs you know every single lyric to? The same brain that enables you to learn it all will also help you to learn other things if you put your mind to it!

4) Practice good communication skills both verbally and written, because it’s one of the single most important skills which will go with you wherever you go!
You might never need cosine or y=mx+b again but you’ll always need to write an email or talk to someone whether it be networking or inquiring about something intelligently.

5) You are way prettier, cuter, and even hotter than you think and it does you no good to be insecure and down on yourself, so stop comparing to others and start taking more photos of yourself, looking in the mirror and smiling at the reflection, and perhaps start to fake it til you make it by telling yourself how awesome and amazing you are everyday! Why? Because confidence goes a super long way and the quicker you gain some, the better off you’l

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!