Online Student Success Story: How CGA Helped Lily Balance School and Create Her Own Board Game

At Crimson Global Academy (CGA), we believe student success goes beyond grades - it’s about giving learners the flexibility to explore passions and achieve more. One inspiring example is Lily, a CGA Aoraki campus student who turned her love of board games into a unique student passion project: STARCHITECT.

This is Lily’s story of how online learning helped her balance academics and creativity, while building skills that will last a lifetime.

How Lily Transformed Her Passion into STARCHITECT

Like many students, Lily started with a simple love for board, card, and party games. What began as a fascination with a special Monopoly edition soon evolved into a deeper interest in board game design.

Determined to create something new, she envisioned a game that would blend fun, creativity, and learning. The result was STARCHITECT, a strategy-based board game where players travel the board, collect resources, and claim architectural landmarks, all while learning about design and history.

STARCHITECT Gameplay:

To become the ultimate winner and the Starchitect, travel around the board collecting the resources necessary to be the first to claim a Certificate for 3 different architectural landmarks. 

Move around the different architectural landmarks to collect the resources needed to claim each certificate at the Design Firm in the Centre Zone!  Complete fun quests with other players and learn about historical architectural events during your journey! 

Overcoming Challenges Through Student Innovation

Creating a board game from scratch wasn’t easy. Lily’s biggest challenge was balancing her creative vision with player feedback during countless testplays.

“It was challenging to keep the professionalism needed to take criticism while still protecting my vision,” Lily shares.

Through more than a dozen prototypes, Lily refined her design and proved the power of student-led innovation - a process made possible by the support and flexibility of online schooling.

Balancing Academics and Extracurricular Activities with Online Learning

How did Lily manage to pursue a complex project while studying full-time? She credits the flexibility of online education at CGA.

“Studying at CGA gave me the time I needed for my project, like eliminating commuting hours and providing Fridays free for personal projects. This opened up opportunities that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.”

This is one of the greatest benefits of online schooling: students can balance academics with extracurricular activities, hobbies, and passion projects. Online education provides a structure that supports creativity while maintaining strong academic progress.

The Role of Teachers in Online Student Success

Behind every success story are supportive teachers. At CGA, students learn from world-class educators who combine strong academic credentials with a passion for mentoring.

For Lily, having teachers available for guidance, while also allowing her independence, created the ideal balance of academic rigour and personal freedom. This personalised support is a hallmark of online learning at CGA.

The Future of STARCHITECT

Lily isn’t stopping here. She plans to share STARCHITECT with Crimson offices in Japan and Hong Kong, as well as hospitals and orphanages where she volunteers. With a website and gameplay video on the horizon, her project is just beginning.

“STARCHITECT is my proudest creation. The thought that went into even the smallest details, like colour choices and game pieces, was my greatest joy. The support and flexibility of CGA allowed me to balance my studies while creating something meaningful that I hope inspires others.”

More than a board game, STARCHITECT represents Lily’s creativity, perseverance, and the opportunities that online learning made possible.

Why Flexibility Matters in Online Education

CGA’s flexible learning model ensures students like Lily can thrive academically while exploring their interests. Key features include:

• Rolling Admissions - Students can enrol throughout the year.
• Global Time Zones - Aoraki, Greenwich, and US calendars mean classes fit student schedules worldwide.
• Recorded Lessons - Students can review classes anytime, ensuring they never fall behind.

This flexibility empowers students to use their time effectively, whether to pursue internships, passion projects, or community service.

Discover How CGA Can Support Your Child’s Success

Lily’s journey shows how flexible online schooling can unlock student potential - helping learners balance academics with passions that fuel creativity, innovation, and confidence.

Book a consultation with our academic advisor today to learn how CGA can help your child achieve their own success story!