What Makes TeenSHARP Countercultural? Here’s What We Told Our Families. Last month, we held a virtual workshop with TeenSHARP students and families to name what so many already feel: TeenSHARP doesn’t just do things differently—we do them deliberately differently.
We called this session a conversation about what makes our work countercultural, because in a world that pushes students to conform, coast, or settle, we ask them (and their families) to lead, stretch, and do the most.
Here are the four big ideas we unpacked during the town hall:
1. We Orchestrate Excellence on Purpose
Most families are told to trust the system and let schools take the lead. But we’ve seen how even high-potential students—predominantly Black, Latino, and low-income students—can fall through the cracks when no one is actively steering their path.
At TeenSHARP, we don’t hope students will succeed—we build systems to make sure they do. That means proactively setting expectations, exposing students to opportunity, and equipping families with a clear roadmap. It’s not about reacting to what happens in school; it’s about leading with a plan.
2. We Embrace What Others Call ‘Too Much’
TeenSHARP students hear it all the time: “You’re doing too much.” Whether it’s applying to 20+ colleges, studying through the summer, or joining TeenSHARP sessions during their nights and weekends, students are often made to feel that ambition is something to tone down.
But not here.
One student said it best in the Zoom chat:
“DO THE MOST! Even when the same people that put you down, will later want to give you credit.”
We affirm that pushing hard, leading when others defer, and filling your calendar with purpose isn’t a burden—it’s a launchpad. At TeenSHARP, “doing too much” means you’re on the right track.
3. We Redefine Summer as a Season of Acceleration
For most students, summer is marketed as a break. Rest. Chill. But for TeenSHARP students, summer is prime time for growth. That doesn’t mean there’s no rest—but it does mean the season should be used strategically and intentionally.
From summer research and fly-ins to creative projects and community impact, TeenSHARP frames summer as the stretch season, not the sleepy one.
4. We Cultivate Range, Not Specialization
Too many students are told to pick a lane early: STEM or humanities? Athlete or scholar? However, the workforce our students will be entering demands flexibility, range, and creative cross-pollination.
TeenSHARP encourages students to build multidimensional identities and pursue overlapping interests boldly.
TeenSHARP co-founder, Tatiana Poladko, put it clearly:
“You can be a scientist who speaks four languages, who codes and who can fundraise and host amazing events.”
Our students don’t narrow their paths—they broaden their horizons. That’s not confusion—it’s capacity.
These four ideas aren’t tweaks to traditional college prep—the ideas are intentional rejections of the cultural forces that tell students to aim low, stay in their lane, or slow down. At TeenSHARP, we call our students into something higher.
That’s the power of being countercultural. And that’s the TeenSHARP way.
