这俩位年轻人不但读书好，人品好，而且有理想又有志气，是新一代华人即将打入美国主流社会的预兆，也是我们的骄傲。
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/05/10/presidential_scholars_georgia.html
Marissa Pan dances for three hours each weekday, tutors Spanish-speaking students at Alpharetta High and volunteers as a translator in the community. She scored a perfect 2,400 on the SAT, took nine Advanced Placement classes and will finish high school with straight-As. She’s going to Harvard.
Ge “Andy” Zhang has performed 1,300 hours of community service, is a nationally competitive pingpong player and manages the track team at Marietta’s Walton High. He also made a perfect 2,400 on the SAT, took 20 A.P. classes and can recall making a B only once in his life — in first-grade English, a year after he moved here from China. He’s also going to Harvard.
These extraordinary young people have been named Georgia’s two 2009 Presidential Scholars, the highest-profile national honor for graduating seniors.
How do they stay grounded?
Marissa explains: “I always keep everything in perspective and remind myself that these accolades are something to be treasured. In the end, I think of myself as any other typical high school student, eager to graduate and ready for the summer.”
Andy holds to his family’s values and belief in hard work. “My family, a traditional Confucian family, values humbleness, and so at the end of every day, I tell myself that there is always more work to be done, more room for improvement,” he said.
What does it take?
Marissa and Andy are among 141 Presidential Scholars chosen from this year’s national high school graduating class of about three million.
About 3,000 seniors actually are considered for the honor, based on their performance on the College Board SAT and ACT exams or through a nationwide arts competition conducted by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts.
As part of a rigorous selection process, students have to be willing to have their grades scrutinized and recommendations from their teachers analyzed.
The students also have to provide detailed information about their extracurricular activities and community involvement, and demonstrate their skills at essay writing.
“One essay was about the most significant contribution that you’ve made to your community’s well-being or the well-being of an individual,” Marissa said. “I really enjoyed that essay because I got to talk about my experience volunteering [as a tutor] with Spanish-speaking students at my school.”
Andy wrote about his passion for pingpong.
“I play at the state and national levels and, a couple of summers ago, I went to train in China,” he said. “Pingpong’s been a very big part of my life, so I wrote about my experiences and how they affected me.”
His essay gave credit to his father. “I talked about how my dad taught me and how, with his help, I was able to win state and silver at the Junior Olympics,” Andy said.
Sharing the credit
Potential Presidential Scholars are asked to identify their most inspiring or challenging teacher.
That teacher is invited to join the honoree in Washington, where the president traditionally presents all the scholars with a coveted medallion. The teacher also receives an award from the U.S. Department of Education.
Who inspired Marissa?
Marissa nominated Claudia Alldredge, who’s taught her advanced Spanish classes for two years. Alldredge, the 18-year-old said, makes class interesting, whether it’s with a discussion of art criticism or a debate of a hot topic of the day, all in Spanish, of course. And when Marissa wants to talk about a new Spanish author or poetry book she’s reading outside of class, she knows she can turn to Alldredge, an 18-year teaching veteran who has been at Alpharetta High since 2006.
“She’s always ready and willing to listen,” Marissa said. “She honestly cares about the well-being of her students and that’s not only academically, but as a person.”
And Andy’s choice?
Andy picked Cathy Murphy, his American Literature teacher. Students, he said, are inspired to be creative in her lively classes and feel a freedom to “talk about anything, not just Huck Finn.”
Andy said Murphy’s dedication to her students’ doesn’t stop when the class bell rings. He said she’s often helped him outside of class on his college applications.
“Ms. Murphy has helped me with my literary pursuits,” Andy said, including a poem he’s had published. “I’ve won or been recognized at various vocabulary/literature competitions under her guidance,” he said.
Andy was accepted to Stanford and Princeton, in addition to Harvard, as Murphy proudly points out. He chose Harvard, he said, because “so many people have gone to Harvard and changed the world.”
Through a teacher’s eyes
Murphy said Andy’s “incredible” test scores and academic record tell only part of the story.
“He also has a terrific personality. “He’s funny, charming, thoughtful. He’s a pleasure to teach and to know as a person,” said Murphy, a 10-year teaching veteran who is married with two sons . “I know he’s going to go so far. He’s going to do everything he can to make this world a better place, and I have all the faith in the world that he’ll succeed.”
At Walton, Andy set up a nonprofit summer academic program to help rising freshman prepare for high school. He’s also helped raise money for overseas educational foundations, while making time to play the piano and compete in several academic competitions that, “with the help of awesome teammates,” have earned him state and national recognition.
Above and beyond
Marissa has a natural instinct for Spanish, but then “takes it to the next level,” Alldredge said.
Her class projects are creative, and her essays are always thoughtful, Alldredge said. She describes Marissa as humble and generous. “What she learns she shares with others,” said Alldredge, who is married with one son. “She’s really a wonderful student. She does everything and beyond to excel.”
When they get to Harvard?
Andy plans to concentrate on economics and computer science, but wants to leave his options open. “I know I am very interested in the sciences.”
Marissa’s goal is to major in biology. “However, I have so many, varied interests, it’s probably going to be hard for me to pinpoint exactly what I want to study.”
