Breaking Barriers: From Chattanooga to Shanghai

Gateway Scholar Amy Xiloj Cecilio: A story of determination, mentorship, and daring to dream

Amy, far right, is shown with her NYU Shanghai class.

When Amy Xiloj Cecilio walked across the stage as valedictorian of The Howard School’s Class of 2022, she carried more than a diploma. She held her family’s spirit, her own ambitions, and a determination to go further than anyone expected.

“I had a lot of people who doubted me,” Amy says. “But with the support of mentors like Ms. Donna, I always felt encouraged to dream bigger.” That encouragement ultimately led her to New York University by way of Shanghai.

Resilient Roots

Amy Xiloj Cecilio was the Valedictorian of The Howard School’s Class of 2022.

Amy grew up in a hardworking family. Her father, originally from Guatemala, had to leave college early and build a new life from the ground up in the U.S. Her mother, from Mexico, only made it to third grade before stepping in to support six siblings.

“I remember watching my dad teach himself interior design and remodeling after he couldn’t afford a dollar-store toy for my younger brother,” Amy says. “Two years later, he had his own business. That resilience and determination—I think I got a lot of that.”

Today, Amy supports her dad’s business with marketing and even built him a website, but she’s always known her own path would take her beyond Chattanooga.

Gateway Scholars and Personalized Mentorship

At The Howard School, Amy was paired with Ms. Donna, a College Advancement Mentor (CAM) through PEF’s Gateway Scholars program. When Amy voiced her dream of studying overseas, most advisors urged her to stay close to home. Not Ms. Donna.

Her perspective came from her own life. “My husband emigrated from Pakistan to attend college,” she recalls. “That gave me insight into what Amy was reaching for. She had the vision. My job was to help her put legs on that dream.".

That understanding changed everything.

Choosing Shanghai

When NYU’s global program offered Amy the chance to study abroad full time, she chose Shanghai.

“I’ve always been fascinated with culture and languages,” Amy explains. “Shanghai gave me the opportunity to defy expectations and test my own limits.”

Amy with friends at a bakery in Shangai

For Ms. Donna, Amy’s choice only deepened her admiration. “This young lady got on a plane and flew to the land of the unknown,” she says. “It was amazing. It showed us all that you can never dismiss someone’s dreams.”

Innovation in the Classroom

At NYU Shanghai, Amy found her stride. She shifted from business and marketing into Interactive Media and Business, a major she describes as “a mix of engineering,

art, and business.”

One favorite project: a bracelet that interacts with computer code. “With business alone I felt like I had to conform,” Amy says. “This major gives me room to innovate and be myself.”

She also minors in political science and dreams of graduate study at Oxford.

An average day in the classroom for Amy: The Interactive Media + Business major at NYU Shanghai combines innovation, creativity, technology, and business principles—teaching students to design and build viable interactive products, services, and experiences grounded in both emerging media and entrepreneurship.

Amy and her PEF College Advancement Mentor, Donna Taheri.

Mentorship That Spans Time Zones

Ms. Donna’s guidance didn’t stop at graduation. When Amy struggled during her gap year, she called.

“I was having a breakdown,” Amy remembers. “I told Ms. Donna I had nowhere to go. She listened, soothed me, and gave me resources. That support made all the difference before I left for Shanghai.”

Even with a twelve-hour time difference, Ms. Donna stayed connected—sometimes emailing NYU on Amy’s behalf, other times offering encouragement over WhatsApp.

Looking Ahead

With two years left at NYU Shanghai, Amy continues to push boundaries. Whether it’s designing innovative tech projects, chasing graduate opportunities abroad, or proving wrong those who underestimated her, she

remains committed to her promise: never

let anyone else define her path.

“I’ve always been shy, but I promised myself I’d never let anyone define who I am,” Amy says. “In our world today, some people are so focused on defining people like me. I wanted to prove them wrong—and I still do. I wanted to define myself.” 

That determination is part of what keeps her moving forward. For Amy, success isn’t just about degrees or accolades. It’s about growth, agency, and representing what’s possible for young women like her who are told their dreams are too big.

Ms. Donna sees it too. “Amy gave us glimpses of her greatness back at Howard,” she says. “But what she’s doing now? None of us are surprised.

She’s determined, and she’s going to do amazing things in this world.”