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CLICK HERE - View the OC Family "21 Shining Students" Video View our special 10 Year Anniversary page Hands down, this has been one of our favorite stories to feature in OC Family Magazine for the last 10 years. Why? Because it allows us to single out some very deserving high school seniors who have worked hard for four years and have risen to the top of their respective classes at a number of Orange County’s public and private high schools. These students are going places, literally – to Berkeley, Yale, Stanford, UCLA, USC. The complete list of colleges they have been accepted to is quite impressive. And so are they. In a year of so many troubled young adults making headlines, it’s reassuring to us parents that instilling good values in our children, as well as teaching them the importance of good grades and developing a strong community spirit, will pay dividends in the long run, just as it has for these 21 promising teenagers who are eager to go out and change the world. The following profiles were compiled from the students’ college application essays: Ryan Austin High School: Halstrom High School College he plans to attend: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo Intended Major: Political Science and Theater As Ryan Austin is about to move to a different stage of his life, it is a familiar place for him. This talented teen has a passion for theater and has been involved in 13 theatrical productions in four years. He was selected as a Merit Award Winner by the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts and won the Orange County Cappies Critics Choice for Best Male Vocalist for his role as Gaston in University High School’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.” It’s an impressive turnaround for someone who had some trouble in the first few years of high school after his parents’ divorce. His personal strife reached an all-time low in his junior year, resulting in a transfer from University High to Halstrom. Ryan says, “I desperately needed a catalyst to provoke a 180-degree turnaround.” In time, Ryan drastically improved his grades, joined the varsity lacrosse team and reclaimed his love for theater. He recalls, “For the first time in my life, I was proud of myself, proud of my accomplishments, proud of my progress and proud of me as an individual.” Yariza Amaton High School: Valley High School in Santa Ana College she plans to attend: UC Irvine Intended Major: Biological Sciences From an early age, Yariza Amaton’s parents stressed the creed, “Education is the most valuable thing that any human being could ever receive, and no one can take that away from you.” Although the Amatons were never able to obtain a formal education, they vowed that their children would. Eighteen years later, Yariza is one of the top students in her class at Valley High School and was one of six Valley students selected for the All-State Honor Choir. Yariza will be the first person in her family to go to college and realize her dream of becoming a pediatrician. In her words, “I have to set an example for all of my family members that Latino women are capable of achieving all that, and more.” Efrem Huang High School: Troy High School College he plans to attend: Princeton University Intended major: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science When Efrem Huang was 13, he completed an eight-week summer class in precalculus. The future electrical engineering and computer science major already knew what he wanted to do. “I would spend hours trying to satisfy my curiosity,” he says. As a child, he would restore model car engines and cassette players. That’s why he is the go-to technology guy at school. He also served as research assistant in the Department of Theoretical Chemistry at Cal State Fullerton. Even though his family moved back and forth from Taiwan to the U.S., he has excelled as a student, musician and athlete. As an AP National Scholar, International Baccalaureate Diploma candidate and founder of the Peer Tutoring Club, he still makes time to be on the school’s golf team and play the violin. Vanessa Liu School: Fairmont Private School College she plans to attend: New York University Intended Major: Philosophy and Political Science After attending Fairmont for 14 years, Vanessa Liu has truly come into her own. She wants to bring change to this world: She aspires to be an international journalist. “We cannot always change the world, but we can set (change) in motion,” Vanessa says. Her work as the Key Club president lets her help others. On frequent trips to Tijuana, Vanessa and other club members bring children supplies, food and fun. She brings the power of words to people, affecting their daily lives. Vanessa works with the school newspaper as the current co-editor-in-chief, and she interns at the OC Register. Vanessa’s dedication to studying has allowed her to shape her future. She has won the AP Scholar with Distinction and the National Merit Commended Scholar award, and she is a UC Regents winner and IB Diploma candidate. Lindsey Farless High School: Laguna Beach High School College she plans to attend: Tulane University Intended major: Finance While our nation’s economic and political situations are shaky, it’s people like Lindsey Farless who will one day turn it all around. She has attended summer programs at prestigious universities – such as Stanford, Duke and Cambridge – studying world politics, government and history. Changing her interest from international relations to finance, she found her niche while studying abroad. “I decided there was a great need for someone who cares about world problems and understands the financial mechanisms to put them in place,” the Aliso Viejo resident says. An avid award-winning participant in Model United Nations, she has won numerous awards for academic excellence. While brainstorming to change the world, she still makes time to indulge in creative writing and reading a little Harry Potter. Alexander Winkle High School: Servite High School College he plans to attend: Chapman University Intended Major: Film Alexander Winkle is the boy-next-door. He is a Boy Scout lettering in varsity basketball, an academic superstar and a thespian. The 10-year Boy Scout of America is a proud Order of the Arrow. He plays forward and center on the varsity basketball team and is a 4.7 student who earned a score of 2160 on the SAT. Along with sports and academia, Alex loves theater. During his four-year high school career, Alex has participated in nine productions. “I have already started on this long and arduous path to success, and am ready to take the next step.” Jonathan Yeh High School: Troy High School College he plans to attend: Yale University Intended Major: Biomedical Engineering “Yet it is because of how much I care about him that I have fought so hard to understand (my grandfather’s) remarkable disorder (Alzheimer’s), discovering a passion for medicine in the process: I could not help but think of him when I won honors as a runner-up in the National Science Olympiad’s health science competition last May,” says Jonathan Yeh. Along with a tight family, Jonathan has an equally sound academic resume. The 4.82 student scored a 2400 on the SAT and a perfect 5 on the AP calculus exam. He is on the best Science Olympiad team in the nation, and if you are yet to be impressed, the science addict interned at the Genetic Epidemiology Research Institute at UC Irvine. Jonathan was given a case study of 372 individuals who were suffering from, or had recovered from, pancreatic cancer. He wrote a paper on the study and won a $15,000 scholarship. Taylor Cramm High School: Dana Hills High School College she plans to attend: Yale University Intended Major: Business It’s game point for Taylor Cramm, as she teeters on the brink of high school and college. It’s an all-too-familiar phrase for Taylor, a three-year varsity letter volleyball player and team captain. She has been playing for years and does not intend to stop, as she will be attending Yale University this fall to play on the women’s volleyball team. If Division 1 volleyball wasn’t enough of an undertaking for a college freshman, this South County middle blocker and scholar athlete, whose academic transcripts are a blur of A+’s, also declared a major in mathematics, a subject in which she has earned multiple academic achievement awards. Leah Greenbaum High School: Tarbut V’ Torah College she plans to attend: Undecided Intended major: English The summer before her junior year, Leah interned for The Orange County Register. Since then, she’s published 25 articles and has written short stories for international literary journals. As editor-in-chief of her school paper for two years, she plans to major in English and become a journalist. In her college admissions essay, she wrote: “Writing is your sword, compass and shield. It is your world.” She has been ASB secretary for four years, and is president of the Red Cross Club and National Honor Society. She has been the English and history Student of the Year twice, and has completed summer courses at UC Irvine and Harvard. In 2004, she founded the mother-daughter volunteer organization Dor V’Dor, which means “generation to generation” in Hebrew. Mehr Grewl High School: Connelly High School College she plans to attend: UC Berkeley Intended Major: Business Mehr Grewl is a locally bred teen, but her extended family lives in New Delhi, India, where she visits to volunteer as an art teacher at orphanages. “I now feel a part of something bigger,” she says. This worldly teen, who is one of Connelly’s top students with a weighted GPA of 4.44, has won end-of-the-year awards in biology, geometry, Spanish, vocal ensemble and world history. She is also president of the International Club, competes on the varsity swim team and, most notably, has been a member of the Advanced Women’s Ensemble for three years, which picked up an award last spring at an international choir festival in New York City. This very accomplished student heads to Berkeley in the fall to pursue a degree in business. Brian Wanyoike High School: Mission Viejo High School College he plans to attend: Stanford University Intended Major: Public Policy Not wanting to be defined by his race or economic background, Brian Wanyoike has built upon his parents’ resolve that education would be the priority in his life when they moved to Orange County 16 years ago. Brian, a self-described “information junkie,” has since traveled to London, Nairobi and Mombasa, and feeds his thirst for knowledge by reading the L.A. Times daily, as well as numerous periodicals and books written by acclaimed journalists and politicians. In addition to his 4.45 GPA and being named a 2008 National Achievement Scholarship Finalist, ASB president and an International Baccalaureate Full Diploma candidate, Brian has excelled in film, tennis, cross country, Mock Trial, Academic Decathlon, CSF, Young Entrepreneurs and the Environmental Club. Currently on the board of directors for the California Association of Student Councils, he plans to become a lawyer, but his diverse interests may take him in a new direction. He sees himself involved with government in the future. Philip Hodge High School: Sunny Hills High School College he plans to attend: Stanford University Intended Major: Science The Galapagos Islands: an aggregate of natural wonders and the land where Philip Hodge found his calling. Over the summer of 2006, Philip was given the unique opportunity to study among anthropologists, biologists and physicists aboard a ship sailing to the Galapagos Islands – the birthplace of Darwinism. The Galapagos Islands is inhabited by a myriad of wildlife, perfect for a budding scientist. On his expedition, Philip was entranced by lectures on astronomy, infectious diseases and the climate. His experience left him in awe of the physical world. Philip returned from his expedition a changed man. He says, “It impressed upon me that I want to be like the people I met, people with open minds and a thirst for knowledge.” Philip will be indulging his “thirst for knowledge” this fall, when he attends Stanford University to pursue a degree in, what else, science. Jena Sussex High School: San Clemente High School College she plans to attend: USC Intended Major: Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Baccalaureate M.D. Jena is a young woman on a mission. Not content living the comfortable life of an honors student and nationally ranked surfer, she spent two summers working with the Projects Abroad Program, supporting doctors in hospitals and clinics in India and Mongolia. There, Jena realized that millions of people living in poverty needed assistance from those willing to give. More than anything, she wants to help. Jena's goal, to complete USC’s Baccalaureate M.D. program, will enable her to help change – and save – lives overseas. Given her stellar academic record – she’s a National Merit Commended Scholar with a 4.57 GPA – medical school is definitely in her future. “As a doctor,” says Jena, “I want to treat victims of disease … but as a person, I want to raise public awareness to treat the world’s tragedies.” Karly Stark High School: Connelly High School College she plans to attend: UC Berkeley Intended Major: Psychology “Good evening, Your Honor, my name is Karly Stark, counsel for the people in this action.” Nowadays, the Mock Trial courtroom is a likely spot to find the young, brown-haired Karly, but the confident senior used to be a timid freshman, second-guessing her abilities to cross-examine. She says, “I’m not sure what kept me from quitting after that first meeting. In most cases, at that stage in my life, I would have given up and decided to join an easier club.” In time, Karly overcame her insecurity and stuck out the commitment. By junior year, she had become the lead prosecution lawyer, a title typically held by seniors. Karly still holds the title. “Mock Trial is more than just a club to me. It is my passion, and I can say, with confidence, that it has made me the strong and courageous person I am today.” Jesus Quezada High School: Middle College High School College he plans to attend: UC Irvine Intended Major: Computer Science Jesus has garnered a near-perfect academic record while completing such demanding classes as physics and chemistry in high school – and college. His academic excellence has earned him the honor of being co-valedictorian at his graduation. However, Jesus’ most important learning experiences have been about sacrifice, gratitude and love. Despite ongoing financial hardship, Jesus’ parents provided their son with the best possible environment in which to succeed. At Middle College High School, where high school students can work toward a two-year college degree, Jesus, a future computer science major, has taken more than 20 courses at Santa Ana College. He’s tutored fellow students and is active in several on-campus clubs. “I hope to one day earn a good living,” says Jesus, “so that I may be able to give to others the compassion and care my parents have given me.” Tyler Runge High School: Tesoro High School College he plans to attend: Harvard University Intended Major: Government Tyler Runge, a self-proclaimed Christian, doesn’t drink or smoke, abstains from parties, values parental rules and, despite his three pages of accomplishments, is not the slightest bit egotistical. “While I have dreams, I have no driving skills,” he says. “I cannot cut anyone off, on the road or in life.” Even so, Tyler has more than earned a right to gloat. He is ranked third in his class with a 4.63 GPA (straight A’s and A+’s); he is a member of the United Model Nations, Mock Trial and National Honor Society; and he plays the violin, is self-taught in Italian and is active in his church. Tyler plans to use all his talents and the education he will receive at Harvard to become a lawyer. Alexandria Oh High School: Esperanza High School College she plans to attend: UC Berkeley Intended Major: Business “I don’t even really know what success is, or how to get there,” says Alexandria Oh. But she succeeds every day. She’s a leader, a believer and a hard-working student – her weighted GPA over three years is 4.45. She’s not to be missed in the race for success. Her desire to lead blossomed as sophomore class president. Now a senior, Alexandria is the ASB president and a student representative on the Placentia-Yorba Linda School District Board, and she works with the Parent-Teacher-Student Association. She’s also a four-year varsity golf team member. Alexandria competed in the SCPGA in 2007, placing first at the Friendly Hills Championship. The future? Alexandria can’t say for sure, but economics captures her interest. Though she claims to not know what success is, she writes, “I know I will stand on the winner’s podium.” Julia Wagstaff High School: Saddleback High School College she plans to attend: UC San Diego Intended Major: Aerospace Engineering Julia Wagstaff learned determination from her parents, who urged her to challenge herself in everything she did. In sixth grade, she was diagnosed with a form of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome, which is often marked by communication and socialization difficulties. Julia worked at socializing herself by joining nearly every club at her high school. Throughout the past four years, she has been active in more than 11 clubs, and has logged more than 300 hours of community service. She loves theater production, and she has served on the tech crew since freshman year. Ranked No. 2 in her class, she is also passionate about space and plans to major in aerospace engineering at UCSD. Jeremy Williams High School: Dana Hills High School College he plans to attend: Undecided Intended Major: Computer Science Jeremy forever shatters the stereotype of the introverted, detached whiz-kid who does little more than study when not attending class. Sure, he has the brains: Despite taking an array of challenging technical courses, Jeremy has earned a 4.57 GPA and is ranked No. 1 in his class. He has garnered the highest possible score in ALL of his nine Advanced Placement exams – an extraordinary accomplishment. However, Jeremy is blessed with a caring heart and genuine interest in others, especially those with difficult challenges. “No experience has led to more changes in my character and personality than Young Life for High Rollers, a Christian club that reaches out to children with disabilities.” Jeremy is also an accomplished keyboardist and guitar player, and has written songs about war and poverty. He’s also penned the occasional love song. Thomas Carney High School: Dana Hills High School College he plans to attend: Stanford University Intended Major: Computer Engineering If Bill Gates had a teenage son, his name would be Thomas Carney. Carney is, in two words, a tech genius. He was the long-standing computer “fix-it” guy at school until the word spread that Thomas could manipulate an iPod. Then out leaked his ability to debug a cell phone, then calculator – and the list goes on. Thomas uses his expertise to manage Dana Hills High School’s database. As the technology chief, he manages 30 computers, both PC and Mac. His responsibilities vary from writing programs to recovering information. He is also the school webmaster, a job that required the complete redesign of the Dana Hills website. Thomas also worked as an intern at UC Irvine, in the Department of Engineering and Science, adding to an already impressive resume for this 18-year-old aspiring engineer. So impressive, in fact, that Stanford University nabbed Thomas under the Early Action Program. In the fall, he’ll be leaving the Dolphins to interface with the Cardinals. Jennifer Kim High School: Aliso Niguel High School College she plans to attend: Harvard University Intended major: English/Psychology Dedicated. Motivated. Jennifer has both of these qualities, and many more. In the top 1 percent of her class, she pushes herself every day, in every way, to be the best she can be. And it has paid off. For the past six years, Jennifer has participated in the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth summer program. And in the fall, she will be attending Harvard, with a possible double major in psychology and English. Jennifer is modest about her accomplishments, saying, “I read the (acceptance) e-mail looking for the words “sorry” or “regret”. I was really surprised when it was a congratulatory letter.” School is not the only thing Jennifer excels at. She has been on the Aliso Niguel Drill Team for four years and founded a club, Student to Student, during her junior year, to help English Language Development students become more integrated and learn English with the help of their peers. Her goal is to help expand this organization, creating other branches within the district. Written by Susan Belknapp, Kathleen Crain, Ashley Eliot, Kristen Schott and Larry Urish, OC Family Magazine’s editorial staff. |
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Digg This ArticleReaders Feedback:
Your list is haphazard, at best. Reflects no research, really talented and good kids have been left out. Kids showcased here are publicity hungry and seems like they want attention cause they did not get any from their parents, teachers and peers!
| Comment at 6/18/2008 |
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