Caroline Zhang, Class of 2011, Heads to Stanford

Caroline Zhang is the only student from the Milpitas High Class of 2011 to go to Stanford next fall. With a weighted GPA of 4.5 (and an unweighted GPA of 3.98), she is the Salutatorian of the senior class.

Milpitas Patch: How come you're not a Valedictorian?

Caroline Zhang: For Valedictorian, you must maintain a 4.0 unweighted GPA throughout all four years of high school. I earned one B, and therefore I am Salutatorian.

Patch: What do you plan to major in at Stanford?

Zhang: I keep changing my mind, but as of right now, economics interests me as a major. Ultimately, I plan to go into business, and I believe a good foundation in understanding our economy and how it works will benefit me immensely in the future. Also, Stanford has a world-renowned economics department with top-notch professors. I also think Stanford is a great fit for me because they allow me to explore my interests with a wide range of classes, and I don’t have to declare a major until the end of my sophomore year, giving me two years to explore. I’m looking into a double major as well, possibly in Psychology or Management Science and Engineering.

Patch: Where do you hope to be in five years?

Zhang: Stanford has this unique program called co-terming, where you attend Stanford for a fifth year and receive your Masters degree. If I do find my passion in economics, a Masters degree will show that I have more depth in the subject. I hope to also have an internship by then to get some job experience under my belt. McKinsey has a wonderful internship program that I would like to pursue.

Patch: What sacrifices did you make during your high school years that helped attribute to your success?

Zhang: The main sacrifice is time that I would have liked to spend with family and friends. As high school students, we constantly have to make a choice between studying that extra hour or hanging out with friends that extra hour, so it was difficult. At the time, I didn’t want to give up any. But I think I’m very lucky to have a family who have supported me in my decisions and have been more than understanding when I have to put my academics first, so I love and thank them for that. And my friends have always been there for me whenever I needed them. Sleep is also a painful sacrifice, but I probably won’t even get enough sleep in college either.

Patch:  Can you give us some insight into your study habits?

Zhang: I don’t get to studying until after dinner because I have to swim and play piano every day, along with other extracurricular activities after school. By the time I sit down to do homework, I’m usually exhausted and ready to sleep. Unfortunately for me, I have found that I work best when it’s late at night and I’m under pressure to finish, so that means playing with my brother, reading, or talking with friends on the computer until about midnight before I even begin to attempt my homework.

Patch: What will you not forget about Milpitas High?

Zhang: I think that when I am able to look back on my entire high school experience, it will be the people that I have met that have been unforgettable. I definitely won’t forget bonding with the swim team and qualifying for CCS, making State for , attending DCON and cheering for Key Club, staying late for Journalism, dancing at Junior and Senior Prom and other high school dances, winning Trojan Olympics, yelling cheers at football games, and even just the simple things like the late night hangouts and afterschool talks with my girls. It’s impossible to forget Milpitas High School when the people I’ve met have been there with me through all of the happy memories. I don’t think I’m ready to leave high school just yet.

Patch: What was your favorite class and why?

Zhang: My favorite class is probably AP Calculus junior year. I initially dreaded going to this class almost every morning, but in retrospect, I learned the most from this class than any other class. Calculus and just math in general became very interesting to me during and after I took this class. Ms. Nguyen is one of the best teachers any student can have because she really does know her stuff, and you can tell that she loves teaching it and being with her students. She is strict when she knows we need it, but she also is a great person to just talk to with about anything.

Patch: Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Zhang: There are many teachers that I enjoyed! Ms. Meyer stood out as both a chemistry teacher that I’ve had for two years and also a Science Olympiad coach. She never hesitated to go above and beyond for her students and for our Science Olympiad team. She’s always there when we need her to explain something or troubleshoot, and she’s always extremely helpful. AP Chemistry was also a class that I didn’t exactly look forward to everyday, but she knew how to make the subject at hand understandable and accessible to us. I look up to her as both a teacher and person.

Patch: What are your plans for the summer?

Zhang: My dad reminded me just yesterday that this is perhaps the only summer that I have to myself, because high school summers were filled with high school activities or classes and college summers will be internships and jobs. This summer, I plan to truly enjoy myself and spend lots of time with the people I love. My family and I are going back to China to visit relatives and explore some more of that giant country. We are also planning a trip to France, Spain, and Italy, as I have never been to Europe. There will definitely be lots of adventures and silliness with my friends. And finally, I plan to read lots of good books and get tons of sleep so I can prepare for college.

Patch: What extracurricular activities did you do in high school?

Zhang: When I entered high school, I pursued the activities that I actually enjoyed and I knew I could stick with, so that included community service (Key Club), science (Science Olympiad), and journalism (The Union). I also continued swimming, piano, and Chinese school throughout high school, all of which have been a huge part of my life for more than a decade now.

Patch:  How is it that you have more than 700 Facebook friends?

Zhang: I guess they are just the people that I have met in my 18 years of life. Nowadays, it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t have a Facebook, so anywhere you go, you can find friends.

Patch: Who would you like to thank?

Zhang: I would like to thank all of the teachers I’ve met throughout high school who have made all of us into more well-rounded people.

I also greatly appreciate the friends I’ve met through the years, especially the ones who have stuck by me and are still my friends today; they include the hottest, craziest, and coolest group of girls you will ever meet: Ashley, Bettina, Cecilia, Courtney, Meera, Tram, Victoria, and Vy.

And I would most of all like to give giant kisses and hugs of appreciation to my family, who gives me a sense a purpose and made me into the person I am today. Mom and Dad: I love you, and I hope I made you proud. Richard: I love you, and please be good.