Physical Skills
Built in the body
Foundation
Ballet — New Jersey Ballet
Pre-professional training, ages 3–18. 15 years at NJ Ballet, Morris County.
Piano — Chen Yubin
Classical training, ages 3–18. 15 years, running parallel to ballet.
Morris Chinese Academy — CSL Level 2 Teacher of the Year
Studied Chinese as a Second Language. Built and led the student volunteer program. Awarded Teacher of the Year for CSL Level 2.
Movement
Pilates — Nofar Pilates Instructor Certified
Certified to teach, 2023. Comprehensive instructor training program.
Hands On
Woodworking Done
FIT Continuing Education (SXW650) — 6 weeks, 3 hrs/week. 227 W 27th St, NYC. Joinery, hand tools, table saw, band saw. Built a side table start to finish.
Welding & Metal Sculpting Done
Michael Daniel Metal Designs, 22-14 40th Ave, LIC — 5 weeks, 3 hrs/week. MIG, ARC, oxy-acetylene. Max 7 students. All materials included. Not a certification course.
Sewing Done
NY Sewing Center, 246 W 38th St — machine use, patterns, fabric selection. Beginner course.
Building Superintendent: Basic Repairs Certificate
CUNY City Tech Continuing Education (SUPT400) — 24 hours, Tue/Thu 6–9pm. 300 Jay St, Brooklyn. Electrical, plumbing, drywall, tile, pest control, locks. Instructor: Timothy Dyer. Certificate of completion.
Ceramics / Wheel Throwing Done
Doclay NYC, 38 W 32nd St (Koreatown) + Dusty & Co, 40 W 27th St (NoMad) — introductory sessions at both studios.
In Progress
NYC CERT Active
NYC Emergency Management — applied. Community Emergency Response Team. Fire safety, light search & rescue, disaster medical ops, traffic control. Instructors are FDNY/NYPD/NYCEM personnel. Background check required. Must complete FEMA IS-100.c online prior. 1-year service commitment post-graduation.
Next
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) Planned
Adirondack Wilderness Medicine (SOLO-authorized) — $800, 80 hours / 9 days. Ndakinna Education Center, Greenfield Center NY (~3.5 hrs from NYC). Includes CPR/AED cert. Next sessions: Apr 11–19 and Aug 22–30, 2026.
First Aid / CPR / AED Planned
Frontline Health NYC — $128, 4.75 hours. ARC certification, valid 2 years. Blended learning option available (2.5 hrs, same price).
Ham Radio — Technician License Planned
Hall of Science Amateur Radio Club (ARRL-affiliated) — $15 exam + $35 FCC fee. ~8 hrs self-study via hamstudy.org + exam. Spring 2026 Zoom course: Mondays 7pm. Emergency communications when infrastructure fails. Highest resilience value per hour of anything on this list.
Food Preservation & Fermentation Planned
Contraband Ferments — 3-session series May 7–9, 2026: Kimchi (Brooklyn Brainery), Kombucha, Fermented Vegetables. ~$38/session. Plus Cornell Master Food Preserver Certificate ($495, 3 days, Riverhead NY) — pressure canning, pickling, jelling, drying, fermentation. Max 15 students.
Building Superintendent: Mechanicals (Level 2) Planned
CUNY City Tech Continuing Education (course 2175) — follows SUPT400. HVAC, plumbing, mechanical systems. No Spring 2026 section; targeting Fall 2026.
AWS Welding Certification Planned
The Welding Expert (AWS Accredited Test Facility), 101 Rome St, Farmingdale NY (~1 hr by LIRR) — AWS D1.1, ASME, structural, TIG. Flexible scheduling including evenings and weekends. Makes the welding work legible in professional contexts.
OSHA 30 — Construction Planned
NY Safety and Training — 30 hours. ~$350–400 in-person (Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan) or $99–159 online. Makes trades knowledge legible in organized and official settings.