As the director of New York Academy, Samuel Choi has long had ambitions in creating a space that would harvest both academic and social growth. He studied education in college and has many years of experience in curriculum teaching and working with students; the knowledge and experience have all accumulated to help him create the most suitable programs for school-age children. Since becoming director, Samuel Choi has continued to build upon New York Academy's motif of seeing education as the pathway to new choices and opportunities. He also sees the non-mutual exclusivity of academic growth with social responsibilities and has continued to push for more social involvement and community outreach from the prep center.