One Year of Ryse

On May 5, 2026, Ryse Education turned one. (I launched Ryse publicly on May 5, 2025)

When I first started Ryse, the idea was simple: students don’t just need more information. They need space to think, to be challenged and to receive honest, structured feedback. I wasn’t sure how that would evolve, but I believed it mattered.

A year on, that belief feels more grounded than ever.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to conduct Ryse’s first corporate training workshop in partnership with MUIS, working with prospective scholarship applicants preparing for their panel interviews. It felt like a meaningful way to mark this milestone not with a celebration, but with the kind of work Ryse was built around.

What stood out to me wasn’t perfection, but effort. The fresh high school graduates were willing to pause, rethink their answers and try again. They were learning to move beyond rehearsed responses and towards something more thoughtful and real.

These moments are easy to overlook, but they matter. Because strong interview performances aren’t just about saying the “right” thing. They come from a deeper understanding of one’s experiences, values and motivations. And that takes time, guidance and honest conversation from mentors and peers.

I’m grateful to the MUIS Talent Development team for the trust they put in Ryse to deliver the training and for the care they put into creating opportunities like this for their scholarship applicants. It was Ryse’s privilege to be part of that process.

One year in, I’m still learning, refining and building on student mentorship and guidance. But if there’s one thing that has become clearer, it’s this: when students are given the right environment to think and grow, they often exceed their own expectations.

That’s what Ryse is here for.

And this feels like just the beginning.