Presidential honor means no pardon for busyness

West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South senior named Presidential Scholar.

By: Gwen Runkle
   Emily Huang, a senior at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, has proven that being busier is better. After taking on a heavy load academically and squeezing in a ton of extracurricular activities, she has become the district’s first student to be selected as a Presidential Scholar.
   After graduating Friday, she’ll be traveling to Washington D.C. later this month to receive her honor.
   The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 to recognize and honor distinguished graduating high school seniors. The program selects 2,600 candidates nationwide based on SAT and ACT scores. After an intense elimination process, two students are selected to receive the award from each state.
   Emily’s qualifications are impressive. She scored a perfect 1,600 on her SAT, was vice president of the Math League, president of the Junior Classical League (which participated in Latin competitions), took four advanced-placement classes this year along with two courses at Princeton University and was ranked number two in her class.
   "She may look like a sweet and quiet young woman but she has fire in her and a spark," said Judy Marcus, a teacher at West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South who taught Emily in the honors course American Studies II.
   "I tell my students that those who really want to succeed have a fire in their belly. Emily has about 10 fires in her belly," she said.
   "She loves and excels in everything she does and she excels as a human being because she’s a genuinely wonderful human being," she said.
   In addition, Ms. Marcus said, "She’s an all-around person, not just a bookworm."
   Emily also plays the cello and piano, was on the varsity diving team in her first three years of high school and still finds time to work with her best friend in the jewelry-making business they started in the sixth grade.
   "I like always having something to do," she said.
   Both Emily and Ms. Marcus will be honored when they travel to Washington — Emily for her academic achievement, and Ms. Marcus for being Emily’s inspiration.
   As part of the program application, Emily was required to identify a particular teacher who had inspired her and write an essay about that person. Emily chose Ms. Marcus for her help and direction in American Studies II.
   "She’s cool," Emily said of her teacher.
   "I’m very excited (about going)," Ms. Marcus said, "but more than anything else I’m so proud of Emily."
   They both will be in Washington for a week of programs and then Emily will receive her Presidential Scholar medallion.
   "It’s been given by the president in previous years, so I could be shaking George W.’s hand," she said.
   "Bush is a very educationally oriented guy so he better be there," she added.
   Emily won’t have much time to celebrate the award.
   "After I come home I have time to breathe for about an hour because I’m going to the National Youth Science Camp," she said.
   For one month, about 100 science-oriented students will gather in West Virginia for labs, lectures and visiting scientific facilities, she said. Only two students from New Jersey were chosen to attend the camp.
   After that, she is planning to vacation in China. And in the fall she will be attending Princeton University and studying operations research and financial engineering.
   "I couldn’t be more thrilled about Emily," said Ms. Marcus. "She deserves the recognition. Her success reflects what we are all about here in this district."