At 20 years old, Emma Iordache divides her academic life between two prestigious institutions: Wellesley College and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is studying Computer Science with a focus on User Experience and Accessibility, taking courses in law and computer science at MIT, and has been accepted into the Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program. At the same time, she works on projects that help high school students from Romania access international programs, research opportunities, and universities that—until recently—they might have only viewed from afar.
Behind this impressive CV, however, lies a story that begins far from major American campuses. Emma completed her primary and middle school education in Brezoaele, a rural locality in Dâmbovița County. She left with straight A’s and an experience she would later transform into a lifelong passion: ensuring young people have access to opportunities, regardless of where they start out. Emma Iordache is now among the young people featured in the “100 Young People for Romania’s Development” national campaign, run by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania.
Five US universities said “yes”
In 2024, while a student at the “Gheorghe Lazăr” National College in Bucharest, Emma received five acceptance letters that would change her path. Wellesley College, Vassar College, Bates College, Trinity College, and Agnes Scott College all accepted her. The total value of the scholarships offered was approximately $1.7 million. She chose Wellesley College and a scholarship worth over $400,000. Before leaving for the United States, however, she achieved another milestone: she completed her Baccalaureate exams with a perfect 10 average. It was the second national exam she aced, following the perfect score she had previously earned on the National Evaluation. At Wellesley, she chose Computer Science, but her interests quickly expanded beyond the confines of a single major. Starting in 2025, she began taking courses at MIT—ranging from Computer Science to Law—and in the spring of this year, she was accepted into the Gordon-MIT Engineering Leadership Program.
From Intern to CEO in Four Years
There is, however, another side to Emma’s story that speaks volumes about her, perhaps just as much as her academic achievements do. In high school, she launched an initiative for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Over 1,000 young people benefited from mentorship, guidance, and educational programs. The idea didn’t come about by chance; Emma knew from personal experience what it meant to grow up in a rural area and to discover, only later on, the wealth of opportunities that existed beyond her hometown. Later, she joined “Vreau Să Studiez în America” (VSSIA) (“I Want to Study in America”). She started as a Social Media Intern. Four years later, she had become the CEO. There, she identified a problem: thousands of Romanian teenagers dreamed of international academic experiences, but didn’t know what steps to take during high school to make them a reality. The solution was Prep School. Since then, students in the program have traveled to over ten countries and secured scholarships totaling more than one million dollars. Destinations include programs such as Yale Young Global Scholars and the UChicago Summer School.
Romanian high school students connected with researchers and university students from top institutions
In the summer of 2025, Emma was selected for the Maine Summer Accelerator at Northeastern University’s Roux Institute. This American experience sparked another idea for Romania: Research Pathways. The program connects high school students interested in research with university students from Ivy League schools and top European institutions. Essentially, it aims to bridge a gap that can seem vast to a teenager: the distance between “I’d like to do research” and launching a first real project. A year later, Emma returned to Northeastern University, this time as a Business & Innovation Associate. Her work included research on how early-stage startups can integrate artificial intelligence, as well as entrepreneurship programs designed for non-profit organizations.
$10,000 for a project developed in Romania
In March 2026, a new opportunity arose, though this time the funding was not for her own studies. Wellesley College nominated her for the “Projects for Peace” initiative, and Emma secured a $10,000 grant. This funding became the foundation for RISE Academy, a project launched alongside Harvard student Cristian Coceanga. Once again, the focus is on young people in Romania, covering areas such as education, technology, entrepreneurship, leadership, and civic engagement. Over the summer, Emma brought the project to several cities across the country. This autumn, RISE Academy is continuing with incubators for young entrepreneurs and sessions on leadership and civic engagement, attended by students from top universities in the United States as well.
Viewed solely through the numbers, Emma Iordache’s story could be recapped in brief: two national exams with perfect scores, five American universities, $1.7 million in scholarships, Wellesley, MIT, Northeastern, a $10,000 grant, and educational projects impacting hundreds of young people. Yet, the numbers tell only half the story. The other half begins in a rural school and continues today through projects aiming to make the path to the world’s top universities easier to find for the next generation. This is also one of the reasons why Emma Iordache was selected for the “100 Young People for Romania’s Development” campaign, conducted nationwide by the Dan Voiculescu Foundation for the Development of Romania.
