Q. What accomplishments are you most proud of and why?
A. Through everything I have experienced throughout my life, one of my proudest achievements is being accepted to my dream school, Cornell University. This was a goal I had worked extremely hard to achieve, and receiving the acceptance letter was an amazing feeling. Another achievement I am proud of is to finally be able to ride roller coasters. I had a fear of heights my entire life, and finally being able to ride all the roller coasters at Hershey Park with my friends was so much fun.
Q. What were your most rewarding school or community activities?
A. Throughout my high school career, one of my most rewarding activities was tutoring other students. Throughout the winter months leading to the March SATs last year, I hosted an online tutoring class teaching many other students math SAT topics. This was particularly rewarding because not only was I able to help others, but I was able to help myself at the same time. Both my students and I learned and improved very much throughout our sessions. This was a very exciting opportunity to be a part of, and being able to help others was incredibly fulfilling.
Q. Do you have any hobbies? What do you do in your spare time?
A. One of my favorite hobbies ever since I was a kid was drawing. I used to draw for many hours at a time, usually a comic book, sketches, or just doodles. Even to this day, I still occasionally draw and sketch. I also play piano in my spare time; although I am relatively new, I am still trying to improve. I also love playing Spikeball with my friends when we hang out, but I am still quite terrible. Finally, I enjoy listening to music. Recently, I have begun to listen to more music and more genres. Now, music is a large part of my life.
Q. What are your plans after high school graduation? Why did you choose this path?
A. After my high school graduation, I hope to attend college for chemistry or chemical engineering. I have always had an interest in chemistry, math, and other STEM topics, leading to my choice in major. After that, I hope to attend dental school and become a dentist. I love the workplace environment of a dental office and would love to contribute to the overall health of other people.
Q. What do you see yourself doing and where do you see yourself living in 15 years?
A. In 15 years, I see myself working in a dental clinic. I see myself making small talk with each one of my patients and improving their health. I see myself living near a city with a temperate climate and a good environment. I hope to have my own home that would be good to raise a family.
Q. Whom do you most admire and why?
A. The person I most admire is my brother. While we had arguments in the past, and he may be one of the biggest procrastinators of all time, I still look up to him a lot. He is incredibly smart, hardworking, and a nice person. He is not afraid to do things that challenge him, such as joining our school’s extremely competitive swim team and studying electrical engineering in college. I am proud to say that I am following in his footsteps and attending the same college as him.
Q. In a sentence, what is your philosophy of life?
A. Don’t be intimidated by difficult things; they are good for us.
Q. Finish this sentence: The most interesting thing about me is …
A. … that my family and I own a restaurant.
A Little About Ryan Zhu
Hometown: Tunkhannock
Parents: Qian Zhu and Jiang Yun Zhu
Some of his honors: Ranked among the top of his class; Assessment of Civic Knowledge Recognition; National Honor Society; National Spanish Exam Honorable Mention; National Merit Scholarship Program Letter of Commendation
Some of his activities: Class of 2025 Steering Committee, treasurer; student council, school board representative; Future Business Leaders of America, secretary; marching band; concert band; technology department intern; biology class intern; Interact Club
Some of his athletics: Cross country; swimming and diving; track and field
Some of his community service: Trunk or Treat at the high school; tutoring; CHOP Food Drive; Community Clean-Up Day
His nominator said: “I truly believe what distinguishes Ryan is his impressively diverse set of activities and skills. He is not obsessed with simply building GPA, but rather, he makes class choices that serve his current endeavors and future passions. He has been gifted with linguistic talent, and volunteer work is also a part of his repertoire.”
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