Where Fish Don't Climb Trees

---

I Rewrote My Manifesto to Tell You This Story

Every so often, I feel the need to pause and look at where this journey has taken me. To reflect on the original spark that lit the way—and to make sure I haven’t lost sight of it.

This article is just that. A re-centering. A rewrite of my personal manifesto—not in business-speak, not as a pitch deck, but as a story. One that attempts to capture the soul of the learning center I’ve helped to build. Not just what we do, but why we do it.

Because while the classrooms, students & programs may change with time, the mission hasn’t. It’s rooted in something deeper than just curriculum. It’s about people. It's about possibility. And it's about the kind of world we want to help shape—together.

---

---

But First, the Fish

You’ll notice a lot of fish artwork throughout this story.
On campus, they swim through our artwork, our lessons, our walls.
It's the logo that represents us across all of Taiwan & abroad.
They’re playful, yes—but they also mean something.

The fish represents the learner—nimble, instinctive, always moving.
The ocean is the learning journey—vast, mysterious, full of depth & possibility.

At first glance, it might seem playful.
Fish-shaped sandwiches. Sea-themed stories. Splashes of the ocean strewn throughout the halls.

But beneath the surface, there’s something deeper at play. The fish—& the ocean they swim in—have become more than just recurring themes in our business. They are symbols of how we think about learning itself.

Let me explain.

---

---

The Ocean as the Learning Journey

The ocean is vast, unpredictable & teeming with life.

So is childhood.

Some days, the waters are calm & clear. Other days, the currents pull in strange directions. There are deep questions, hidden discoveries, moments of awe & moments of fear.

Learning, like the sea, doesn’t move in a straight line.

And we wouldn’t want it to.

At our learning center, we treat learning not as a race to a finish line, but as a lifelong voyage. One that asks for curiosity, adaptability, courage & wonder.

---

---

The Fish as the Learner

A fish cannot climb a tree—& it doesn’t need to.
It swims. It explores. It adapts. It moves with awareness & instinct through its environment.

Too often, traditional systems try to force all learners to climb the same tree. To measure success with the same ruler. But we believe in honoring the way each child naturally learns & grows.

The fish reminds us: we are here to help students thrive in their element—not someone else’s.

We teach them to:

• Move with curiosity.
• Trust their instincts.
• Navigate unknown waters.
• Breathe deeply, even when things feel overwhelming.
• Find their rhythm, their speed, their depth.

---

---

A Learning Philosophy Inspired by the Sea

Our approach to education mirrors the ebb & flow of the ocean. It’s dynamic, layered & alive.

We believe:

• Children learn best when they are immersed in meaningful environments. Just like fish need water, learners need contexts that feel real, engaging & safe.
• Exploration leads to discovery. We don’t give all the answers. We create the space—& trust the journey.
• Depth matters more than surface. We don’t skim. We dive deep. Into ideas, into projects, into conversations.
• Resilience is learned in waves. Struggles, mistakes & setbacks are part of learning how to swim—not signs that someone is sinking.

---

---

The Water We Swim In

This metaphor isn’t just for the kids—it’s for us, too. As educators, we ask ourselves often: What kind of ocean are we creating?

Is it welcoming? Stimulating? Safe for risk-taking? Full of mystery & magic?

The environment we build is the water our learners swim in. And we’re always working to make it rich, warm & alive.

---

---

So Yes—We Celebrate the Fish

We draw them. We bake them. We engulf our walls with colors of the oceans & tides.

Not just because they’re fun (though they are). But because they remind us of who we are, what we believe & how we grow.

In our world, every learner is a fish.

And the ocean is calling.

---

---

And Now; A Different Kind of Learning Center

Before this chapter of my life began, I worked in startups—first in Denver, USA, then in Wellington, New Zealand. I’d always been drawn to early-stage energy: helping build something from the ground up, connecting directly with people, solving problems in real time.

I held roles from front-line customer success & relationship management to leading teams & building out entire departments. The work was fast, it was creative & it was human.

But somewhere deep down, I still felt the pull for something more enduring. I was searching for a career that carried profound meaning—one built on deep relationships & real impact.

And then, something clicked.

It didn’t happen all at once. But during a trip back to Taiwan, I began to see things differently. What if the most meaningful work wasn’t in tech, but in education? What if the startup I was meant to help build was a school?

That was my light bulb moment. And I haven’t looked back.

---

---

The Mission

At our core, we believe:

Learning should be meaningful, joyful & connected to real life.

Our mission is to help young people become confident, curious & capable humans by crafting learning experiences that ignite imagination, nurture self-awareness & develop real-world skills.

We’re not here to just “prepare kids for the next level.”

We’re building the foundation for lifelong learning—& life itself.

---

---

A Philosophy Built Around People

If you ask me what makes our school different, I won’t point you to a fancy program or a test score.

I’ll point you to a moment.

A student walking into class, eyes lighting up as they recognize today’s lesson connects to something they actually care about.

A teacher sitting eye-level with a child who’s struggling, not to fix it for them, but to walk with them through it.

A group of parents brainstorming with staff on how to support a project that’s grown bigger than anyone expected.

That’s the philosophy in action.

I believe:

• Kids come first—not curriculum.
• Exploration leads to understanding.
• Strong relationships build strong learners.
• Language is power—& communication is connection.
• Learning is not confined to a classroom.

---

---

Our Values (& Our Compass)

We talk about these five things often—not because they’re catchy, but because they’re true.

1. Curiosity over compliance
   We nurture the drive to ask “why?”—& give kids the space to find out.

2. Creativity with purpose
   Art, stories, games, questions—these are not side projects. They are the work.

3. Community-first mindset
   We rise together. Everyone belongs. Everyone contributes.

4. Resilience through real challenge
   Learning is messy. We don’t shy away from that—we lean in.

5. Progress over perfection
   Success looks different for everyone. Growth matters more than getting it “right.”

---

---

A Living, Breathing Learning Lab

Our school isn’t a campus—it’s a living system. Each week, our students are diving into projects that stretch their thinking & invite them to build something real. We’ve run businesses, built stories inside Minecraft, explored ancient Egypt, cooked fish-shaped sandwiches & studied the Amazon rainforest—through games, experiments & storybooks.

It’s not about covering content. It’s about cultivating meaning.

Every project, every class, is a chance to build skills that actually matter: collaboration, communication, problem-solving, inquiry, empathy, expression & courage.

---

---

Why I’m Still Here

This isn’t a business that runs on autopilot. It runs on belief. On values. On people.

It runs on the moments where a kid says, “Wait… I get it now,” & you realize they’re not just talking about that pesky math problem—they’re talking about themselves.

This is my life’s work. And even now, I still wake up with more ideas than time, more dreams than fear & more belief than ever that what we’re doing here matters.

So if you’ve ever imagined a school that feels more like a community, more like a home, more like a launchpad for becoming fully, wonderfully human— You’re not alone.

This is my journey.

And we’re just getting started.

---

Until next time

---