Discus Award Winner
William Chan
11th Grade, NY
ATTRIBUTES
Academics
Education is one of the key aspects in society today and I look forward to learning as much as possible. I currently have a 4.0 GPA along with a high SAT and PSAT score, and all 5's on my APs, but grades are not the only focus in my career as a student. I am currently enrolled in my school's science research program and worked on a project to search for moons outside of our solar system (exomoons). I managed to place 1st at the WAC Lighting fair, 3rd at the Intel ISEF fair, and 1st and the New York State Fair, which combined came out to about 600 dollars worth of winnings. In previous years, I have also worked on other projects and placed 1st at the Long Island Science Congress and 2nd at JV LISEF, and 3rd at the Research Association Fair. I strive to reach high academic goals.
Arts
Music has been an activity that I have been doing my entire life. I started playing the violin at the age of 4. I was first interested in this when I saw a violin in a museum and wondered what it was about. Since then, my life has changed. I have been selected to participate in the All-County and Long Island String Festival every year since the 5th grade, which is a personal accomplishment. I have always been seated in the top ten and even once was the principal second violin. Last year, I was selected into the prestigious All-State orchestra, where I was able to play and share my passion for the violin with talented musicians all around New York. I was seated 7th and enjoyed the orchestra. From all of these different festivals, I was able to make many friends which is always very nice.
Community Service
In 9th and 10th grade, I participated in the American Breast Cancer Association and raised $10,000 towards the foundation. I did this by going to the Breast Cancer walk on Long Island in 9th grade and in 10th grade, I was the manager that helped bring together a small concert where I got many friends, family, and myself to play various instruments. We raised a lot of money through ticket sales. I also helped my local community by participating in the United Cerebral Palsy Association's Polar Bear Plunge where I volunteered by helping up to set up refreshments and aid the plungers. This year, I currently volunteer at the Manhassat LIJ hospital where I help patients in the rehab center by providing them with water, pillows, and entertainment. Volunteering is unique as I can show my passion.
