English
'Ivy League!'
It is a community of schools that make the hearts of parents and students flutter just by hearing the name. Harvard, Yale, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell are the eight prestigious private universities in the northeast of the United States. The desire for Ivy League universities in the United States is so great that they gathered these historic schools to form the Ivy League association. It is not an exaggeration to say that most of the big names who lead American politics and the economy, including former U.S. presidents, are from the Ivy League, so they are leadership training centers that will lead the U.S. and the world.
There is a working mother who busily worked as a lawyer and at the same time had admitted all six of her children to the those universities. I am NaoNow's co-founder Gale Mullen, the mother of NaoNow CEO Rachel, an online English company.
Gail, who now lives in Los Angeles, California, worked as a real estate law attorney for 20 years before founding NaoNow with her eldest daughter, Rachel. She was athletic since she was a ski scholar, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League university, and later went on to become a lawyer after attending the University of Toronto Law School. Despite her demanding work schedule, she excelled at raising her six children, all of whom went to Ivy League schools. How does it work for Gail to make all her children her Ivy League junior?
Creating Ivy League-style Talent that Does Its Best for Personal Goals
I recently interviewed NaoNow CEO Rachel and learned that all of her siblings have also gone to Ivy League schools. It may be every mother's dream, but could you please tell me what values you have tried to instill in your children?
I have tried to share and instill in them the love I have for learning. To do so, I looked for schools that would satisfy my intellectual curiosity and encouraged them to pursue higher education. Instead of putting pressure on them to accomplish something, I sought areas in which they each had a passion and encouraged them to do their best in those areas. All six of them were unique, so they all had different career paths and directions. And it's also important that they trust and do not judge what kind of field they are interested in. I went to an Ivy League school, and as I know well, the talent I want there is a personal target or passion, and I encourage them to pursue it. The goal or target could be anything. It doesn't matter if it's trivial, as long as it's something they can devote their passion to and strive for.
You mean Ivy League schools like people who are passionate about a certain goal. That's why you have helped them find their own interests. However, working as a lawyer and raising their children is never easy. In Korea, many mothers work and raise their children at the same time, so what's the secret to achieving a perfect balance between your personal career and the enormous task of raising children?
First of all, I'd like to remind you that I was lucky in my case. The law firm I worked for specifically wanted a female lawyer, so when I tried to cut back on working hours to support our children they were willing to help me. It is by no means easy to work and raise a child. If possible, try to stay open with your workplace and your boss. It would be nice if they could be a little considerate so that you wouldn't give up your time with your child.
Separately and Together - Respect Individuality Without Comparing Children and Developing a Sense of Cooperation at the Same Time
You have six children in total, including NaoNow CEO Rachel, the eldest daughter. How were their personalities different? What efforts have you made to raise children with different personalities?
I have tried to make each and every one of our children feel loved and respected. They all had different personalities. The eldest daughter, Rachel, and the second daughter, Julia, are very active in leadership, and the third, Elaine, is meticulous and efficient. The fourth, Brooke, is cheerful and diligent, the fifth, is sociable and sharp. The youngest, Ryan, is kind and thoughtful. They have a diverse personality, so they pursued all different majors - businessmen, orthodontists, lawyers, consultants, computer scientists, and social marketers. As they grew up, I made a ceaseless effort not to compare them to each other. I think they all grew up independently and without being influenced by other brothers and sisters. Still, I tried to keep good relationships between them by helping them work together such as skiing as family activities, which every single one of them learned because I was a skier. Other than that, I allowed them to do chores and homework together. Then I allowed them to freely do what they wanted to do. Some activities were strictly disciplined, while others were never interfered.
To Cross the Ivy League Threshold with Special Activities Outside of School Classes
Many parents and students in Korea tend to focus on major subjects to enter prestigious universities. Is there anything particular about Ivy League schools that they pay attention to in order to discern a student's potential as well as their scores in major subjects?
The Ivy League wants a game-changer. They want someone who leads their life with brilliant ideas and achieves their goals. For most Ivy League school applicants, their school grades will already be good. But for those who do make it, there has to be something special besides good grades. And that particularity usually comes from activities outside the classroom. Some of the special activities our kids have done were writing a crossword puzzle, writing a cover for Beyoncé's album, winning the U.S. National Table Tennis Championships. There are tasks that stand out like this, but in fact, there are a lot of special activities that are worth trying: activities that can show leadership, activities in community issues, and experiences that have led to positive changes. Whether it's sports or art, if you have talent in the field other than school, you're encouraged to develop that talent.
The eldest daughter, Rachel, originally dreamed of becoming a doctor before NaoNow. I heard you encouraged you a lot to found NaoNow. In what ways did you see the potential in NaoNow to change the course of her as a medical student?
NaoNow is a company built on the belief that learning should be enjoyable. NaoNow's curriculum was designed to help students fully realize their potential. Although she was doing well in medical school, I felt that she had a passion for children and education. And she was a very leadership kid, and I thought she had enough qualifications to lead such a burgeoning company. As I started NaoNow with Rachel and started the curriculum, I thought that it would have been great if I had NaoNow when I was raising my children. Having a mentor full of passion for learning while studying with a top-class schools in the U.S. is a unique opportunity that NaoNow students can enjoy. And the NaoNow program is also special that no other online English schools can ever offer. Principles of physics that can be found in Stephen Curry's movements of his shoots. Don't you think the title itself is interesting enough to make you curious? I believe that NaoNow's program not only improves your English skills but also gives them the creativity, personality, and qualities they want in the Ivy League."