Esther Huang

Huang

"As I realized the worth in reaching out to others and lifting them up, I was again drawn to the unique opportunities that the medical field provided."

  • Alumni of: 2002 Graduate Scholarship Program
  • Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA

Biography

The artistic study of castles and cathedrals in Western Europe; reading Dostoevsky, playing Rachmaninoff concertos, learning Chinese language, and practicing endocrinology are just a few of Esther Huang's interests.

Among her achievements: "I helped elucidate mechanisms that inhibit tumor growth and lower blood pressure through several award-winning projects."

The University of Virginia student, who learned to speak English in elementary school and wrote two literary novels before graduating high school, is planning to study medicine at Harvard University this fall - another big accomplishment

She looks at her life and childhood as a woven tapestry of images. "Much like the tools and paints needed to begin painting, my family provided much of what shaped my character and outlook," she says.

Her grandparents fled to Taiwan during the communist invasion of China in the 1950s. Her mother "took care of six siblings while putting herself through school, earning degrees in nursing and computer science." Her father, an engineering graduate student who won a scholarship at M.I.T., would tutor Esther late into the night, patiently explaining formulas. Her parents were actively involved in their community and church and made sure to include Esther, along with her two other sisters. And while neither parent plays an instrument, they gave Esther every encouragement at becoming an accomplished pianist. Her mother, for instance, sat through every piano lesson she ever took since age five.

In high school, she became keenly aware of possibilities available to her through learning. She took nearly every possible course she could, even if it required her staying long after the last school bell had sounded for the day. But it was the sciences that challenged her the most, particularly studying biological mechanisms.

During college, she did well in an honors chemistry class that included unbelievably difficult problem sets and torturous exams. The work was so demanding that from more than 100 students at the start of the semester, just 27 remained at the end.

Her studies, her aptitude, the support of her family and her desire to give back to her community come together for Esther in her goals of practicing medicine and exploring medicinal cures through research.

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