THE CHALLENGE STUDIO STUDENT:
- wants to be academically challenged
- is extremely motivated to learn
- has a curiosity to delve deeper into topics
- has the ability to question information
- responds well to a rapid pace of instruction
- is able to work collaboratively with others
- is well-rounded with many interests and passions
- wishes to shape the direction of their own studies
Meet some current Challenge Studio students and graduated alumni:
If you're a grad, and you'd like to share your story, please email [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you!
JOHN XU | CHST '25Massachusetts Institute of Technology ‘29
"I could talk endlessly about the trips, opportunities, and resources of Challenge Studio, but what's impacted me the most is the people. Being surrounded by other talented and driven classmates pushed me to do things I wouldn’t have otherwise done: harder classes like AP Physics and AP Lit, Physics Olympics Club, where we placed first in BC, and CanSat, where we represented Canada at the European Space Agency. Additionally, classes like Inquiry & Innovation gave me the freedom to pursue my passions, such as building crazy engineering projects for my YouTube channel “I Build Stuff”, which now has over 100k subscribers. Next year, I’ll be studying mechanical engineering at MIT!" (Written June 2025) 
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STUDENT NAME | YEARSTAY TUNED! |
HINSON CHAN | CHST '24Stanford ‘28
“Along with CHST's amazing math and science programs that accelerated us to take AP Physics C, Hamber's unique program emphasized well-roundedness and project-based learning for the social sciences as well. Our history teacher, Mr. Wightman, encouraged me to work on a documentary about US history, which was eventually recognized by the Bureau of Land Management and helped me get into my dream university. Today, I'm a freshman CS student at Stanford, balancing computational sociology research, running a corporate technology company, and building a rover to cross Antarctica, leveraging the skills I learned through the CHST program.” (Written June 2025)
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ERIKA CHUNG | CHST '22Harvard ‘26
“In Eric Hamber’s Mini School Program, I was surrounded by driven peers and dedicated teachers. They always challenged me to aim higher, and I credit that support with much of my success—in high school and now in college. At Hamber, I was Student Council Co-President, Yearbook Editor-in-Chief, Newspaper Executive Editor, and Co-Founder of Hand in Hand, while also playing basketball and ultimate. I also won 1st in Skills Canada National Competition in Graphic Design Technology. I’m now a rising senior at Harvard studying Economics, where I’ve continued to explore my passion for understanding people and the spaces they inhabit. I’ve pursued intercontinental travel through urban studies study abroad programs and completed summer internships in real estate private equity.” (Written June 2025)
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STUDENT NAME | YEARSTAY TUNED! |