When he was 12, Andrei wasn’t necessarily dreaming of Harvard. He was dreaming of making films.
At a time when many teenagers are still trying to figure out what they are passionate about, armed with just a mobile phone and a lot of imagination, Andrei began creating stories and experimenting with whatever he had at hand. Over time, his passion for filmmaking turned into a strong portfolio, a genuine curiosity for learning, and a discipline that would come to define his academic journey.
Years later, in the summer of 2026, Andrei graduated from Harvard College, Magna Cum Laude, with a double major in Art, Film and Visual Studies and Economics. Today, he is preparing for a new professional chapter in New York, where he will work at a fintech company while continuing to nurture the passion that has accompanied him since childhood: film.
Looking back on the past few years and on his experience at one of the world’s most prestigious universities, Andrei offers a mature perspective on what success truly means. He speaks about curiosity, discipline, balance, and the importance of never allowing a label to define who you are.
We invite you to discover Andrei’s story – one in which a childhood passion grew into an academic and professional journey shaped by authenticity, perseverance, and courage.
A path built on passion, not certainty
Looking back, Andrei describes his path to Harvard in surprisingly simple terms. It all began with a desire to tell stories through film. As his projects became increasingly ambitious, he found a way to turn that passion into an academic pursuit through Media Studies and Art and Design courses at Avenor College, as part of the A Levels programme, while simultaneously building a portfolio of films.
At the same time, he maintained strong academic performance and continued exploring a range of interests, without building his entire identity around a single goal.
“I applied without having very high expectations,” he says. Although he knew he was a competitive candidate, he was also aware of how unpredictable and selective the admissions process can be. The moment Harvard became a real possibility was when he received the interview invitation. That was when he realised there was truly a chance.
Harvard beyond the myths
If he had to sum up the Harvard experience in just three words, Andrei would choose: community, curiosity, and depth. Before arriving there, he had imagined an environment that would be highly formal, competitive, and perhaps even distant. The reality was different.
“From the very first moment I stepped onto campus, I met people who were incredibly kind, open, and genuine,” he says.
Settling in was easier than he had expected, and the relationships he built with his peers became one of the most valuable parts of his university experience. Academically, the challenges lived up to the university’s reputation. What made the difference, however, was the constant support offered by professors, teaching fellows, and the educational resources available. The academic culture is not built solely around performance, but also around questions, exploration, and depth of understanding.
What prepared him for Harvard
Andrei believes that his experience at Avenor played an essential role in preparing him for an international university environment.
“Looking back, I believe my experience at Avenor prepared me very well for this type of education. My close relationship with the teachers, who were friendly and open to answering my questions, encouraged me to stay curious and engaged. The A Levels system also helped because it allowed me to specialise in three subjects I was passionate about and study them in depth. In addition, my own curiosity beyond school pushed me to explore further and gain a clearer sense of what I wanted to study at university. Last but not least, the British system helped me develop my English to a very high level, which was essential both for my courses and for social integration in an international environment.”
Perhaps the most important thing he gained during those years, however, was an openness to the unknown.
“In a place like Harvard, you are constantly exposed to new ideas, new people, and new challenges. You have to accept that you won’t have all the answers from the start.”
(Photo: Andrei at the Romanian language course graduation ceremony at Avenor College)
Curiosity and discipline: the combination that makes the difference
If there are two ideas that appear again and again in Andrei’s story, they are curiosity and discipline.
In his view, success in a top academic environment is not defined by intelligence alone.
“Curiosity is the compass, and discipline is the engine. If you have curiosity without discipline, you know where you want to go, but you cannot make the journey. If you have discipline without curiosity, you have the strength to move forward, but not the direction. Only together can curiosity and discipline turn interest into knowledge and potential into results. Beyond that, the specific skills you need depend greatly on your field of study and your individual goals,” he explains.
(Photo: Andrei on his Harvard graduation day)
Learning how to learn
One of the most important lessons Andrei discovered during his studies is that academic success is not simply about accumulating information.
“At top universities, you have to learn how to learn.”
The large volume of information and the fast pace of classes require students to develop effective learning methods. During his A Levels, Andrei changed the way he studied and began using a simple but highly effective strategy: constant self-testing.
Instead of waiting until he felt he had mastered the material perfectly, he tested himself from the very early stages of the learning process. This allowed him to quickly identify what he did not yet understand and focus his efforts where they were most needed. This active approach helped him move beyond memorisation toward deeper understanding and critical thinking.
On pressure, failure, and resilience
(Photo: Andrei with his family)
There is often a great deal of discussion about the pressure associated with top universities. For Andrei, however, the experience was defined less by pressure and more by the support he received from his family, friends, and mentors.
Of course, there were difficult moments.
“There were many times when I felt it was all too much,” he admits.
In those situations, the support of the people close to him made all the difference. One of the important lessons he learned is that success does not mean managing everything on your own, but having the courage to ask for help when you need it.
As for failure, Harvard’s culture treats it as a natural part of the learning process. Mistakes are neither ignored nor allowed to define a person’s worth. Instead, they are integrated into the process of growth and become opportunities for development.
An ordinary day at Harvard
Contrary to the image of the student who studies nonstop, life at Harvard is about balance. For Andrei, a typical day might begin with an economics class, continue with time spent in the library with friends, and often end with a film course. Evenings could mean extracurricular activities, sports, studying, or simply spending time with friends.
One of his favourite memories is connected to the library in Leverett House, the residence where he lived throughout university. The Harvard experience was never limited to lecture halls. It was also shaped by conversations over meals, collaborative projects, clubs, social activities, and the relationships formed between students from all corners of the world.
What advice would he give to students dreaming of top universities?
For students who hope to study at universities such as Harvard, Andrei’s advice is surprisingly simple:
“First, find what truly excites you. Then, do thorough research on the universities you are interested in and understand what they are looking for in future students. Finally, build excellence through consistency and do not let failure stop you. Failure should not be accepted as the end point, but integrated into your next attempt.”
(Photo: Personal archive – Andrei Mitoiu)
He also emphasises that there is no single formula for success. Some people excel in one particular field, while others build a multidisciplinary profile. What matters is authenticity, impact, and the passion with which you pursue your interests.
Beyond Harvard
Perhaps Andrei’s most interesting reflection is not about admissions, classes, or academic performance, but about the way he has redefined his idea of success.
A few years ago, success meant being admitted to a top university. Today, he sees things differently. At the graduation ceremony, Conan O’Brien shared a message with the graduating class that has stayed with him:
“I hope that Harvard becomes the least important thing people know about you.”
(Photo: Andrei with his family on graduation day)
For Andrei, this is the real challenge. Harvard is an extraordinary starting point, but not a final destination. Success means continuing to build, remaining curious, learning constantly, and creating impact through whatever path you choose next.
And if his story conveys one message, it is this: great achievements do not always begin with perfect plans. Sometimes, they begin with a genuine passion and the courage to explore the unknown.
The second pillar is emotional safety. Here, educators and counselors serve as a secure anchor. Through authentic connection, active listening, and consistent support, they create the atmosphere of trust that allows children to move from “survival mode” into “learning
mode.”
In recent years, we have also noticed an important shift in parents’ perspectives. More and more families understand that nursery is not simply a place where children are supervised, nor just a stage before “real school” begins. It is an environment that has a profound impact on how children will approach learning later in life.
“The issue with the National Evaluation is not that an exam exists, but that it ends up disproportionately defining a child’s value at a stage when they are still developing. In reality, at 14 we should be assessing much more than the ability to correctly reproduce content. We should look at progress, autonomy, the way a student thinks, argues, collaborates, and transfers what they learn into real-life contexts. In high-performing international systems, assessment is continuous and diverse: interdisciplinary projects, portfolios, presentations, personal reflection, and applied learning. Because the world these children are entering will not reward only strong memory, but the ability to adapt and learn continuously.”
“Children need clear academic standards and rigorous assessment. But in a healthy education system, an exam should not reduce a teenager’s value to two grades and a few hours of pressure. At 14, children are still building their identity, discovering their strengths, and learning to trust their own potential. School should help them not only achieve results, but also understand who they are, how they think, what they can build, and how they can continue learning in a constantly changing world.”
As a primary school teacher, one of the questions I hear most often in class, during maths lessons, is simple, but very profound: “
“During recruitment, beyond the rigorous assessment of professional competencies, we are also concerned with the deeper dimension of compatibility with Avenor College. We tell candidates the Avenor story and seek to understand whether we share the same vision of education and the same professional standards. For us, excellence in teaching goes hand in hand with responsibility, including a strong commitment to safeguarding principles and the ability to create a safe environment in which every child is protected, respected, and supported in reaching their full potential. Professionalization begins with competence, but it is strengthened through values and through the responsibility we assume for the impact we have on every student, every day,”
“Being in my first year at Avenor College, I discovered that professional development is not merely a theoretical concept but a genuine driver of everyday activity. The Performance Management process and the establishment of Professional Learning and Development (PLD) goals helped me define a clear direction from the very beginning. I feel that this system provides concrete support during the lessons I observe. I have learned tremendously by monitoring my progress and adapting my teaching methods. The impact is visible directly in the classroom, in my interactions with students from preparatory grade through fourth grade, where I can apply new techniques that keep them engaged, active, and curious. It is a continuous learning process that gives me confidence that I can make an authentic contribution to every child’s development.” –
“For me, professional development is a deliberate process that helps me maintain high standards in my day-to-day work. In a school that places such a strong emphasis on holistic development and the wellbeing of the entire community, I continually seek opportunities to refine my skills through professional learning. This has allowed me to participate in programs from the school’s professional development portfolio, such as Teaching with Love and Logic and From Values to Action: Making SMSC Visible in Secondary. This year, I also chose the AI Unplugged: Teaching Smarter, Not Harder course offered by Avenor, which is already helping me reduce part of my administrative workload and giving me more time to focus on the other important aspects of my role as a teacher and school counselor.” – 
Authentic professional development requires dialogue and collective reflection, explain Avenor representatives.
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Last but not least, the forest is where we teach their first lessons in civic responsibility. By learning how to keep the forest clean, children begin the transition toward critical and creative thinking, understanding that their actions have a direct impact on the environment.
Starting nursery is both an important beginning and a significant ending. It marks the start of a child’s experience within a wider community and a period of active exploration of the world around them. At the same time, it signals the end of a stage in which the child has been primarily exposed to the family environment.
For children aged 1.9 to 5, this year’s edition extends the programme to four weeks and places a strong focus on developing independence through activities carried out beyond the traditional classroom, in the forest or during excursions. For the Young Explorers group, dedicated to children aged 1.9 to 3, the programme also includes engaging workshops led by special guests, as well as weekly swimming activities – 
Special offer for new Pregătitoare and Grade 5 students
The event also brought forward an essential topic for modern families: how fathers’ presence during the early years lays the foundation for long-term trust and connection. This bond does not require elaborate plans or sophisticated activities.
Victor Bratu, EdTech & Data Lead and the competition coordinator, shares in the interview below insights about this year’s edition and how the challenge unfolded.
