Audrey Ha came to the States from China on a college tour when she was in 10th grade. It was then that she discovered NuVu High School.  “I came upon NuVu in my online research and decided to try it out for a semester and I really loved it,” she says, and the rest is history.

What first attracted Audrey to NuVu’s design studio learning was definitely the hands-on, project-based curriculum, but it was the community partner experience that she felt could give her an edge.

With a strong interest in architecture already in place, Audrey says that the Re-Entry Housing studio was the first studio at NuVu that truly reaffirmed her decision. Working with California based Ahimsa Collective—who assist formerly incarcerated individuals in California as they reintegrate into society—Audrey and her team were able to help design a tiny community that would offer these returning citizens a safe, nurturing, and healing environment to support their return into their communities. Through research, interviews and guidance from Ahimsa team members, the students first began by learning about the experience returning citizens may have gone through—and the type of environment they would need to feel safe and supported moving forward.  “For our final proposal, our community space would encapsulate a farmer's market, a community center and tiny homes that would help these people build a community,” explained Audrey.

“It was like ‘aha’ moment, where I felt that this was so cool,” she explains. “I just wanted to keep doing projects like these—and that's the main reason I stayed.”

Audrey participated in all three Re-Entry housing studios, and served as the lead when students visited the Ahimsa headquarters in Santa Cruz, CA this past fall. There, the students conducted site research, interviewed various stakeholders, and met with returning citizens and Ahimsa leaders to understand the inspiration for these newly created homes.

Having experienced education in Beijing and Singapore, Audrey says that NuVu was truly unique in the opportunities it offered her. “From learning basic design, brainstorming techniques, creating prototypes to using all the tools at NuVu, it allowed me to pursue my own opportunities,” she explains. “I never thought I could work with real clients in high school, and connect with organizations in this way—I learned how to be independent and be proactive, and to go after the things that I want.”

Other memorable studios during Audrey’s three years at NuVu include a studio with Indian artist Raghava KK. “We created that exhibit and I learned a lot of new art skills and I still have a connection with him until this day,” she shares.

Then there was the studio on Memory Alloy. “I created a window installation with a specific type of memory alloy that would react to sunlight and open to create better ventilation and bring in sunlight,” she shares. “I actually did a presentation of my project to the dean of engineering of Northwestern and I got an internship there over the summer, which was super cool.”

As her NuVu experience comes to an end, and her college acceptance letters pile up, Audrey says she’s considering material science, fine arts or design as her undergraduate focus, with a master in architecture. Looking back upon her time here, she offers up this advice for any potential student considering NuVu: “I know some traditional schools can hold you back from pursuing what you’re interested in, and NuVu is a great place to explore your interest or even try something new. The only way to find out if you're right for here is to try it out yourself!”

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