I went to a college prep high school in St. Louis, Missouri. When I graduated from school, I owned this thing called the Headmaster's Cup, and the Headmaster's Cup is for the student who exemplifies the spirit of the institution and is recognized by the faculty and administration.
I always thought that a prep school was what some people went to after high school to prepare themselves for college.
When I went to prep school in New York City, I had to ride the subway and learned how to do homework on the train. I can work and read through anything.
I first decided that I wanted to act when I was 9. And I was at a very bizarre prep school at the time; to say 'high Anglo-Catholic' would be a real English understatement.
Qinghua was first established as a preparatory school in 1911. In 1928, it became a university. In 1929, my father joined Qinghua as a professor, so that was also the year that I moved to that campus because my father brought the whole family along.
I was a good student with mathematical ability and interests. As such, I took the usual college preparatory program in high school for one looking to become an engineer: all the available courses in mathematics and science.
It was only against my mother's will that I attended the preparatory high school in the city. She wanted me to become a seamstress in the village. She knew that if I moved to the city, I would become corrupted. And I was. I started to read books.
I came from a private school, and public high school was the first time I ever went to a public school. So I went into it very preppy; I was wearing a lot of Abercrombie and Hollister. Then, my sophomore year, I started listening to rock bands. I had a boyfriend that took me to my first rock show, and I was just addicted to that.
I went to a Presbyterian college, you know, I was in... all the way, and so I remember doing my first sermon when I was 17, I was in high school. It wasn't a full twenty-five minute sermon, but for like ten minutes I got up and they let me do that, and it was on faith.
However, ironically, I was baptized Presbyterian, and went to a Quaker school for twelve years.
I think it's so important in preschool and in kindergarten and elementary school that we're not biasing ourselves.
I always acted in high school. Actually, I started in preschool. I was in a play about Jesus. I went to a Catholic school and played an angel and recited some poem about Jesus. It felt so long to me at the time.
I've never been pressed to be friends with everyone or be popular, even in school - I've always done my own thing.
A lot of people feel pressured by the outside influences, whether it's your job, whether it's school. But who says you can't take care of that stuff and still be young?
In many ways, the very notion of school choice operates under a false pretense - an assumption that every child has the same set of choices to make and the same places to choose from.
I'm responsible for starting a whole new school of pretension.
I was never the pretty girl at school. I'm tiny and mixed-race. I grew up in a white area. I was always the loner.
During most of my freelancing, I made what I would have made in charge of the cafeteria at a pretty good junior-high school.
Parents, teachers, and other school staff need the tools to help these young people early in their lives. And the earlier, the better. It is proven that early action prevents problems later in life.
When I was at primary school, around seven years old, I was underweight, so I'd be back and forth to the doctors to get weighed. It was a lot to do with being a twin. Jo was healthy, but I just couldn't put on weight.
