April 29, 2024
By Landry Brewer
Becky Yang thrives by making others proud.
The SWOSU student, 2024 Elk City High School Valedictorian, and Academic All-State selection will attend Princeton—an elite, Ivy League university—in the fall.
So elite, in fact, that U.S. News & World Report ranks the New Jersey school as the nation’s top university.
Of the nearly 40,000 students who apply each year, Princeton accepts only about 5% of them. The university-ranking media outlet says that to earn admission to the Ivy League schools, “prospective students’ applications must be extraordinary.”
Yang’s must have been extraordinary.
The application process was extensive. Princeton required her to write more than 1,700 words in various essays, undergo a Zoom interview, submit one of her graded high school essays, and provide a list of extracurricular activities, honors received, and family information.
College-bound high school students in Oklahoma take the American College Test (ACT), and Yang also had to provide Princeton with her scores.
A perfect ACT score is a 36, but that score is so rare that less than 0.5% of test takers earn it.
Yang made a perfect score.
Also extraordinary.
She wants to study either Chemical and Biological Engineering or Computer Science at Princeton.
“I’m drawn to both of these disciplines as I have always had an interest in science and researching how to help others,” Yang said. “Technology is a growing part of our daily lives, and I believe there is plenty of potential to be tapped from it.”
Yang’s family moved to the U.S. from China, and she was born in San Francisco. When she was very young, she and her family relocated to Elk City to operate the Golden China Restaurant when its owner, a family friend, moved.
“I feel like I’m from Elk City since we moved here when I was around four years old, and I have most of my memories here,” Yang said.
Her drive to excel academically originated with honoring her family but expanded to others in her orbit.
“I was determined to make my parents proud and show that their efforts have borne fruit,” Yang said. “Later, my friends and community were also driving factors that motivated me to persevere.”
In addition to her high school studies, Yang has also taken college classes while at ECHS. She will carry 18 credit hours earned in six SWOSU classes with her to Princeton.
“I found the SWOSU classes interesting and very enjoyable at ECHS,” Yang said. “I had a pleasant experience with all of my professors, and everyone seemed passionate about their subject!”
Because she made the highest possible score on an Advanced Placement English test, she will also receive college English Composition credit.
While at ECHS, Yang has participated in National Honor Society and been a member of the Academic Team, Senior Committee, and Key Club.
When she’s not in class, doing homework or studying for high school or college classes, or participating in extracurricular activities, she plays Dungeons & Dragons with her sister, attends Taekwondo, learns to speak Mandarin Chinese through an online school, and reads for fun.
She also enjoys spending time with family and friends.
High school valedictorian. Academic All-State. Perfect ACT score. College credit. Princeton admission.
And Becky Yang’s motivation for all of this academic excellence is making her family, her friends, and her community proud.
Pretty extraordinary.
Copyright 2024 Paragon Communications. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.
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