While talent has always been plentiful in Asia, the celebrities, brands, and partners in that part of the world haven’t historically had access to Hollywood-style talent agencies to help them maximize their potential. Instead, these companies oversaw their own talent, productions, and casting (and much more). This left little time for them to focus on ways to push their content globally so the world could enjoy it. (more…)
Blog
As the child of a special education teacher in China, Hongjin Chen ’24 says her mother helped her understand at an early age the value of loving and respecting those with physical and mental differences. (more…)
When Andrés Palacios Constanza ’25 reflects on his childhood in Guatemala, one of his favorite memories involves drawing. He and his brother attended arts classes as a chance to find their creative voices, and this gave Constanza the opportunity to draw freely for the first time.
He loved it so much that he envisioned his future as an illustrator—until robotics caught his attention. “I even considered changing high schools at one point so I could join a better math program,” he explains. (more…)
When AJ Schwartz ’26 moved to Chicago to study theater at Loyola University, they found more than the right degree program in The Windy City—they also found their creative community.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2017, Schwartz served as a freelance director and arts administrator for some of the city’s most notable storefront theater companies: About Face Theatre, Steep Theatre, First Floor Theater, etc. (more…)
While Zahra Freedman ’24 was always surrounded by music as a child, she often felt like it was being placed in front of her through structured experiences like classical piano and band lessons—not like she was intentionally moving toward it. Instead, she enjoyed creative writing, participating in national writing competitions and developing short stories on the spot. (more…)
When Minh Hà Millie Lê ’24 was young, she imagined a career as a difference-maker.
A Vietnamese third-culture kid, Lê has always been curious about people. She participated in student government and served as student body president, volunteered, and was part of Model United Nations, hoping to one day serve on the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council.
By the time high school ended, however, she learned that UN resolutions take a long time to pass. “There are people better suited for that environment. They’re patient enough to work through resolution after resolution,” says Lê. “But it wasn’t for me. I felt more of an urgency in reaching people.” (more…)
With a fascination for film and an undergraduate degree in economics, Yuhan Liu ’24 felt like she was always looking for common ground between her studies and her love for creative industries.
Although she was studying finance in college, pursuing a bachelor’s from Beijing’s University of International Business and Economics, she didn’t forget how much she enjoyed working on films in high school.
As a member of a student film association in Beijing, she had the opportunity to create and produce several short films for festivals across Asia. “Our group also represented China in the Asian International Children’s Film Festival in Japan,” Liu explains. “We got the chance to learn how different cultures in Asia approach creative thinking and production work.”
Growing up, Ali Almansour ’24 could often be found amid groups of students who were eager to hear him read his latest short story or pore over a journal entry he had written over the weekend.
“I’ve always felt like writing is my superpower,” says Almansour. “I love using writing to tell people about experiences I’ve had or report on what I see as I travel.”
He has carried this talent with him throughout his education, as he earned a degree in English and literature, finished his MBA, attended classes online at Harvard Business School, and ultimately received a PhD in Instructional Management and Leadership from Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. Along the way, he taught for Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education and Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR. (more…)
We are pleased to announce that Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Artistic Director of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago will serve as keynote speaker for the MSLCE convocation ceremony on August 23! (more…)
Growing up in Beijing, China, education for Kexin (Virginia) Liu ’24 was more about theory and less about practical application. This teaching approach wasn’t the best fit for someone who preferred to dance instead of study. (more…)