Student/Parent Portal
Located in the sunshine state of California, and just down the street from Disneyland Resort, is Cornelia Connelly High School. “Cornelia” is a school that fosters an environment for girls to be enlightened, trained, and encouraged to be confident, educated, and well-equipped women to enter society. It truly is a transformational community that gives female students the opportunity to discover their voice and the platform to exercise their confidence in expressing their thoughts and opinions. It prepares them to be contributors to the world around them.
Run Cindy Wang (left on the photo) is one of 16 Cambridge international students who attend Cornelia. Cindy is a fantastic example of what the school values in what they refer to as a “Connelly Girl.” A “Connelly Girl” is a student who exemplifies a character of service, leadership, and inspiration to those around them. Cindy has taken advantage of several opportunities offered by the school, opportunities that have challenged her personal growth in these areas. Cindy has spent her time volunteering with a local program teaching Chinese to children. She has also been involved with the school’s theatrical performances as well as the mock trial program. Cindy has informally taken on a mentor role to younger students, helping provide perspective to the cultural adjustment that students undergo during their transition to the States. Cindy is an excellent scholar, and yet balances her time well in socializing with her friends and host family, and even developing hobbies, such as joining the school’s tennis team.
Cindy has grown so much since her first encounter with Cornelia. In a speech given during an academic award assembly, Cindy shared how she was insecure and uncertain with her English and conversational skills. When asked in the application interview what her favorite food was, Cindy tried the best that she could to confidently answer with the only word that she knew—spiders. Naturally, the audience found the humor in the incident. However, it made for a fantastic segue for Cindy to share and reflect with the group about the growth that she has so clearly seen in herself during her time at the school. Cindy has become an engaging, warm-hearted, thoughtful, and confident individual. She is a positive role model and voice of influence for her peers. Cindy’s educational experience at Cornelia Connelly has been instrumental in equipping her to become the remarkable individual that she is today.
If you’re a Cambridge Network member school, host family or student and would like to share your story, please contact Katie Chen at [email protected].
