Name: Wenting

School: MCNDHS, Class of 2009

What she’s doing now: I’m a Sustainability Specialist for the NYC Department of Education.

How CYD helped: CYD helped me get free tutoring for my AP Calculus class and helped me apply to college. They also sponsored a club I created called the Multicultural Club.

How she came to MCNDHS: I came from Canton, China, at 17. I was looking at high schools and when I saw the painting in the MCNDHS lobby, about multiculturalism and justice, I was inspired and thought, this is the one. At the school, I was the student government president and became interested in the environment. One of my teachers encouraged me to join my local Community Board, so I did – and started a program for rainwater collection in Chinatown. I have been super happy to have had the opportunity to come back to MCNDHS as a graduation speaker and advise the student government on sustainability projects.

Her journey: After I graduated from MCNDHS, I went to Binghamton University because it was a great school academically and they have their own wetlands to study. I had 2 majors – Sustainable Architectural Design and Cinematography – and 2 minors. My career has moved in unexpected directions. I started in commercial architecture and after that worked as a licensed yoga instructor, a social services caseworker, and a DOE paraprofessional. Sustainability has always been my passion, and my job as a Sustainability Specialist at the DOE incorporates many of my interests – I go into schools and teach young people about sustainability and help them launch projects that improve their schools and the city. This can mean recycling, planting gardens, reducing waste, and more. I’m very thankful for the journey I’ve had and for my family, who always had my back and didn’t push me – they knew I was very motivated.

Most unusual job: When I was in high school, we used to walk around Times Square and see the tour guides on buses speaking to the passengers, and I thought, one day I want to be one of those. After I left the architecture firm, I took a position as a guide on an NYC history tour bus. The boss said we could modify the tour based on our expertise, so I added my perspective on sustainability!