Lessons in leadership and compassion start early at Porte
In this Year of the Rabbit, Haute’s theme is making your own luck. Of course, there will always be good fortune in our lives. But only those who are well prepared can fully capitalize. That’s a lesson that the students who are enrolled with Porte learn early — fortune favours the fully engaged.
“It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.” – Chinese Proverb
Joint managing director Jonathan Kong believes that coaching young people for leadership roles in society can’t start soon enough.
“When we take our trips to London, or New York, or summer camp at Whistler, we’re helping these young kids to gain the confidence to say: “I can take on the biggest projects.” We’re introducing them to professors at Oxbridge, leaders in Silicon Valley, and even ambassadors at the UN, to help them to envision their own potential,” says Kong who co-founded Porte in 2020 with joint-managing director Franco Ng.
Learning though Passion Projects
Students from 13 to 25 are encouraged to pursue passion projects with the help of Porte’s extraordinary network of coaches and mentors.
“We’ll go to the ends of the earth to help our students develop their career paths. Recently, we had a student who was deeply concerned with the human rights of refugees so we arranged for him to meet senior UN officials to develop a deeper understanding.”
“Another student was fascinated by the challenges of food insecurity. So we partnered with a not-for-profit in the DTES to allow her to see behind the scenes of a social enterprise on the front lines.”
The Power of Personality Enhances Application Success
Naturally, Porte is adept at coaching students through high school and Ivy League university application processes, entrance requirements and exams under the professional guidance of academic experts.
“Top universities are looking for anything but standardization. Unique applicants are created through impact, not tests.” Franco Ng
What transforms the experience — and success in finding the right school — is the bespoke approach to uniquely personal perspectives on what education means. Porte’s students have expressed interest in everything from palliative care for children to speaking out about Asian racism.
“We want Porte students to challenge the status quo,” says Ng. “Every student needs to find their own voice and then we help them to take action. Because we’re a boutique academic planning consultancy we can cater to each individual, holistically — it’s never a numbers game for us.”
The Year of the Rabbit Encourages Quick Thinkers
2023 promises to be another full year of admissions counselling, leadership boot camps and, of course, those coveted experiential excursions. Places are already filling up for far-sighted parents who want to ensure that their child fulfils their potential.
“We’re already planning our next trip to Europe for learning opportunities that can’t be found on our doorstep. We’re preparing our students to be world citizens. Whether they want to take over the management of their family’s wealth or become involved in high-level diplomacy, they need to be citizens of the world.
“At Porte, we’re not just telling them what they have to do in their academics — we’re showing them how they can give back to the community and make a real impact. We do whatever it takes to give them that real-world experience,” enthuses Kong. “At Porte, we say ‘no half-measures’. And we mean it.”
