/HOW TO READ THE CONTENT/ 

1. Read the text first, then view the corresponding Video.

2. The topics covered are Mission/Vision. Success Stories. How our Program works. The Application Process to the Leadership Program and how Top schools induct the best applicants.

3. We conclude with “Why this Program is needed.”

///NOTE: Since this program is quite unconventional, it is strongly advised you go through the content sequentially///

This page is dedicated to the student and the student’s parents to provide a quick background, educational strategy, expectations, and outcomes of being part of the Altus Education Student Leadership Program. Please note – our program is NOT for every student and family. Our methods are unconventional. We work the hardest. We are passionate about excellence. We are hackers of student debt, investments, and financial education. We also look for several emotional and leadership qualities, and the GPA is definitely not one of them. 

Who are We?  Why the Mission? Why trust us? What can you expect here?

Altus Education is a Student Leadership program of Project Starfish. (www.pstarfish.org) Project Starfish revolutionized the workforce training model for unemployed blind and visually impaired professionals. 

Over the last 8 years (using contemporary industry models, system thinking and design thinking models, etc.), we have created employment for over 300 professionals who are blind. The same model has helped students accelerate their chances of getting into Top Schools and Ivy Leagues.

The Leadership program needed the last piece, i.e., the experiential, coaching, and impact models taught at Harvard Business School Executive Education.

Success at Altus is critical. Our Mission is to find and build 1,000 student leaders by 2030. The world will be very different in 2020 and beyond, and you can observe how much the world has changed during COVID times. The education, training, and school concept will be replaced by the Workforce, Technology programs, and Industry Partnerships. A collaborative culture will replace individual culture. The success criteria eventually will be different to thrive, compared to the present times or what has been perceived by the previous generation.

We highlight the success of three unique students.

1. Sravya – who aced several schools and currently studies at Urbana Champaign. She now interns at JP Morgan. Sravya’s teachers felt that she would only get through a community college because of her low GPA! We proved them wrong.

2. Yowana Wamala – graduated from Columbia University this year. He was instrumental in building Project Starfish with the Founder. Our recommendations worked well to get him a deserved spot.

3. Himani Parikh – now studies at UCLA. 

We have several others to boast off. As long the student is dedicated to a mission, our Leadership program will get them there.

At Altus Education, we have a stringent Application Process. We take a lot of time understanding the student before we induct them into the program. We want to be sure if they can step-up their game. Do they want to coast, or are they passionate and compassionate people? We have proven methods of understanding them (sometimes better than their parents and school teachers ), and that is what we do best because we fit into them, instead of them fitting into us.  This is a fast-paced entrepreneurial place. Boredom is replaced with Innovation. We want to make sure we have the right set of students.

What is the Induction Process? 

This is where we put a lot of time understanding the emotional qualities, personality, dreams, ambition, passion, giving back, etc. These are the parameters and values appreciated by the wealthy and usually never found in the “Henry Ford ” model and production system – i.e., today’s schools.

While one has to be in the existing system, one also needs to move towards a leadership system, which expands their horizon for bigger aspirations.

You attract what you want to be. 

Once you have selected you, what happens next? Whats the expectations? How do we onboard you? How do we keep your parents updated on progress? How do you get started?

This video walks you through what we do in the first couple of weeks. The most important thing we do is exactly what no one ever does. It’s called introspecting with the student and understand the following :

– Who are they?

– What motivates them?

– What is their driving force?

– What is their talent?

We call this alignment. Life is all about aligning everything you have for a purpose. One’s life gets broken after some time when they are professionally, spiritually, financially, and impactfully not aligned.

At the heart of the Altus Education Student Leadership Program is the project work. The project is the differentiator to your Top School admission and also your life and leadership going forward. 

We actually take a lot of time to develop the project. 

Why? 

Several reasons. The first is understanding you. Remember, we are unconventional. We put the “individual” at the center. The second is to understand the skills, talent, aspiration, personality, etc.

Go through this video to understand the process of building the project. We don’t just build it together; we help you execute it one step at a time. 

While we understand that you may not be of adult age, we treat you as adults at Altus, and we hold you accountable, just like we hold ourselves accountable for your success.

Alignment! That’s the biggest piece. How do we align all the pieces together so you, the project, the mission, the impact, and the life experience is what the Ivy League or the Top School wants? That’s the key piece that Altus creates and mentors you till the end until it is accomplished. You can clearly observe that this model takes effort from both sides and requires a good amount of commitment to succeed. Unfortunately, not every student has that grit, so we select our students meticulously.

Altus focuses on the Individual and the Community because of the lesson learned from two organizations. 

First – World System Builders who educate families about finance and help them better their lives. Xuan Nguyen, one of the greatest community leaders, built thousands of financially free families.

Second – Scott Harrison and Charity Water. We strongly suggest you watch the entire video and be inspired. Scott uses Leadership, Community, System Thinking, and System Dynamics to impact communities with no access to water. One Individual – Massive Impact.

That’s what Altus aspires towards. A 1000 student leaders of the world will create an everlasting impact in communities by 2030.

To conclude – the Mission matters. A 1000 student leaders by 2030 who pledge to change the world is definitely not grandiose romanticism or solving world hunger. It is possible. The world has to be better!

What is YOUR mission in life? You will discover it here!

We can clearly see that our children’s generation will inherit massive problems. The biggest being financial!

Then comes cultural – because of the wane of values, growth of entitlement mentality, and lack of community “ship.” The belonging to a larger dream or goal is virtually absent. We see a need to re-build society; however, the next generation needs to be involved equally because they inherit these problems directly from the current situation.

As the time this generation reaches 40 years of age, 90% of people would be under the chains of poverty and without work because of skill obsolescence. The Covid19 situation has already created mass unemployment. You can see that with your own eyes.

We absolutely need action-oriented leadership in the future to help and educate others to re-build lives and communities – as a mission. You don’t need the Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates model of leadership who hoard the wealth or break communities. The world needs simple, humble people who are financially free, with extra-ordinary leadership that can re-build communities over the years instead of simply gaining from the stock market. It has to be – beyond Race, Religion, and Politics! We have too much of it.

It is possible – with the 1000 student leaders, we will grow in the next decade.