My parents didn't approve when I dropped out of high school. But it became the first step toward starting my own company in China.

"I left high school two months into my senior year. I believed my path didn't have to be high school to college to job to rat race. I'd always been different, and that difference gave me the determination to eventually open my own business in China. I grew up in Shanghai, and before dropping out in 2016, I spent most of my free time working part-time jobs: English-Mandarin translator, assistant for a nightclub owner, PA for A-list celebrities, and even a venture capital intern."

"I never saw higher education as the only road to financial success or - more importantly - happiness. I wanted out of the race and to chart my own course. My Asian parents, two high-performing executives with degrees from top universities, didn't support their only son dropping out. They figured it was just a "gap year." But when I started succeeding at work, they ultimately accepted my decision."

"Christopher Zhang grew up in Shanghai and dropped out of high school to pursue a less traditional path. In 2021, he opened a cryotherapy center in Shanghai and expanded to Shenzhen the following year. Zhang says he's "proof that the path to fulfillment can be different for everyone." This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Christopher Zhang, 27, the founder of Cryozone China. His words have been edited for length and clarity."

Christopher Zhang left high school two months into his senior year and pursued multiple part-time jobs before entering the workforce. Within a week of leaving school he interviewed for and accepted a role as an account manager at a SaaS company and was promoted to business development manager before age 20. Work slowed during COVID-19, prompting a renewed focus on fitness and research into injury prevention. In 2021 he opened a cryotherapy center in Shanghai and expanded to Shenzhen in 2022. His parents initially opposed the dropout but accepted his progress after he succeeded professionally. The trajectory emphasizes nontraditional education and entrepreneurial initiative.

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