1998 Outstanding Youth Award Recipients
Chia Chia Hsu
Chia Chia Hsu is a senior at Magruder High School and a consistent honor roll achiever. She is a member of the National Honor Society as well as being a National Merit Scholar Student.
Ms. Hsu is very active in serving the community. At school, she is a peer mediator and counselor and is a member of the Key Club and SHOP (Students Helping Other People) Club. At the neighboring Sequoyah Elementary School, she has been a Buddy's Homework tutor for the past three years. She also volunteers at the Food & Friends in DC. The Food & Friends organizations provides fresh cooked meals for people living with AIDS in the greater Washington DC area.
Aside from academics, her first passion is music. She has played the alto saxophone for eight years and a soprano saxophone for three years. At school, she plays in the pit orchestra for the annual musical and performs in the symphonic band and marching band. Ms. Hsu is also the vice-president/librarian of Magruder’s Instrumental Music Department as well as the treasurer/historian of the Magruder Chapter of the Tri-M: Modern Music Masters. Outside of school, she plays in the Montgomery County Honors Band which is auditioned from all high schools within the Montgomery County system. She has also received consistent superior ratings at district and state music festivals in solo, small ensemble_and full band settings.
Her second passion is for the Taiwanese community. As a former student of the Washington D.C. Taiwanese Language School, she now teaches Taiwanese to the younger children as well as teaching an art class. She has also been in several protests for Taiwanese Independence in the DC area. Ms. Hsu is devoted to the camaraderie of the Taiwanese community and a participant in many of the various activities.
Chia Chia is the daugher of Mr. Jack Hsu and Ms. Mei-Yu Hsiao
Jason Su
I am currently a freshman at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. There are a number of areas that I am interested in, but one of my greatest interests is music. I play three instruments. They are the piano, violin, and percussion. I have played the piano for ten years. I entered the Alice Leesthma Scholarship Competition and placed first winning a scholarship of $500. I also entered the Composer Competition and was placed second, also winning prize money. I was selected and invited to perform for the Centennial Recital for the 100th birthday of the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) at the Harris Theater of George Mason University. I entered the National Piano Playing Auditions which were sponsored by the American College of musicians and received a score of 98th percentile in the nation. For violin, I was a member of the Junior District Orchestra and seated Assistant ConcertMaster. I am now in the of T.J.H.S.S.T.'s Concert Orchestra. For percussion, I auditioned for the District XXII band and was selected to be the first chair percussionist of the band. I now play percussion in T.J.H.S.S.T.'s marching band. In middle school, I was a member of the Show Choir, the top choir for Fairfax County middle schools. This is a choir that sings music along with choreography. I was selected to be Dance Captain of the choir, and was in charge of teaching fellow choir members the choreography for the music. I was also selected to be in the District XII Choir. Finally, I won Fairfax County's Musicianship Award for all three categories- band, choir and orchestra.
I started taking martial arts, Kung Fu, at the age of five. Later, I learned Karate and wrestled in a league. I entered a competition for Karate and won two second place trophies. I also played baseball in the major league at the youngest age possible. I represented my school's track team in the mile run event and helped my school win the track meet. In the recent three years, I started to become active in basketball. I was selected to play for the travel A basketball team for SYA (Southwestern Youth Association), and also selected to play for the school team. Later, I played in a different league, and was selected to play for the All-Star series and was chosen MVP (Most Valuable Player). During the summer before freshman year started, I tried out for the Junior Varsity (J.V) team for the Summer Basketball League as a freshman and made the team. Currently, I am a member of the school's Freshman Basketball Team. For the Physical Fitness Test, I set every record that I could in the pull-ups category for my schools since fourth grade, and my highest number of pull-ups done was 38.
I was the president for my school in the Student Council Association (SCA). I have achieved all A's every quarter throughout my academic career. I have received the President's Award for Educational Excellence based on my grade point average (GPA). I was accepted to T.J.H.S.S.T and continue to receive all A's on my report card. I have also won the 1997 Outstanding Student Award from ACTO (American Citizens of Taiwanese Origin). I was active in the 24 Math Challenge Competition. I entered the competition and succeeded to represent Fairfax County in the 24 Math Challenge Championship held in the NASA museum in Washington D.C. I won the silver medal.
I would like to thank the Taiwanese Youth Arts Foundation, Inc. (TYAF) for choosing me to be one of the recipients of the 1998 Outstanding Taiwanese-American Youth Award. I feel very honored and appreciate that there are such organizations that support the next generation of the Taiwanese-American citizens.
Jason is the son of Dr. Hannsen and Mrs. Linu Y. Su
Julie Liu
I am Julie Liu. I was born and raised in Tainan, Taiwan. When I finished second grade, my family moved here, to the states, and thus beginning my life in America. The first year was the toughest. I didn't even know the alphabets. After a year of struggle, I set the cruise control and the school business was a smooth ride for the next seven years.
Currently, I am a junior at Thomas S. Wootton High School. School hadn't been too hard, or at least as hard as I expected. However, junior year is a different story. There is much more homework and I am not having as much fun anymore. Now my life seems to be consisted of three things: grades, grades, and grades! Being from a Taiwanese family, grades are especially important, though there are other things that occupy my life. Things such as piano and cello take up much of my time as well. I have been playing the piano for almost twelve years and the cello for about seven years. I participated in numerous competitions and somehow managed to win many of them too. For instance, I have won the MSMTA State Concerto three times, the MCMTA County Concerto two times, the Baldwin State Competition, and a few more. On the cello, my accomplishments have not been as abundant. I won the MSMTA Solo Competition twice and also the Gretchen Hood Scholarship Competition. In addition, I have been in Montgomery County Youth Orchestra for five years and been able to attend the Maryland All-State Orchestra for the last four years. I must admit that orchestra is a lot more fun than solos though because in an orchestra, you can play in the wrong key and no one would know. But enough about my accomplishments, let's move on to other miscellaneous things such as the fact that I am the youngest of three children, youngest and the only girl. My two older brothers are in college, which is great because I get the bathroom all to myself. Don't get me wrong though, I do miss them a whole lot, it's just that the joy of not having to share a bathroom with two others guys is overwhelming at times. I guess you get some and you lose some. On another note, I go to Evangelical Formosan Church of D.C. and have been for the last eight years. I must say that God is awesome and that He takes very good care of me.
Well, I guess that's all you need to know about me. If you like to know more about me, feel free to ask me questions. See you around!
Julie Liu is the daugher of Dr. and Mrs. Kuen Rong Liu
Ryan Hsu
Over the course of my life discovering my identity has been a constant struggle. Growing up in America, I have been exposed to two different cultures. It has been difficult to blend my ancestral culture with that of American culture. My life has become a delicate balance between my responsibilities as an American, as a member of the Taiwanese community, and my responsibilities to myself.
The first time I went to Taiwan my view of the country changed. As a child I always though of Taiwan as an independent country. I never knew of the strong Chinese presence over the country. I remember while I was there I got lost. I went and asked a security officer, in Taiwanese, to help me find my parents. He answered me in Chinese telling me that he could not understand Taiwanese. I did not understand why some people in Taiwan did not know their own language. I also couldn’t understand why they thought they were Chinese? After that first trip to Taiwan I have felt that it is the responsibility of my generation to teach the world about our unique situation. As a result, I have been a student of the Washington D.C. Language School for 9 years and have been volunteering my time as an instructor for the school. Another way for me to help the community has been helping out with the annual ‘Taiwan night’ where we all come together and talk about Taiwanese culture. Recently, I have been helping ‘Taiwan night’ by assisting the sound crew. Last year I also assumed the duties of being the Master of Ceremonies. I also was a Resident Advisor for last year’s TAC/EC.
Another important responsibility has been finding myself. As a senior at Langley High School I feel that academics have always been an important part of my life. I have always worked my hardest in school. Though grades are imperative I have always felt that involving myself in school events is equally important. I am active in my school’s Japanese Club of which I am currently the Vice President. I am also the President of the Langley High School Orchestra. In addition, I am the Technical Editor for our school's yearbook.
I have also been active with athletics. I have studied Tae Kwon Do for 11 years and currently hold the rank of Black Belt. I have been the assistant instructor at the Washington D.C. Taiwanese Language School for two years. In school, I am a sprinter for Langley’s Track and Field team.
Perhaps the most important part of my life has been my love of music. Since I was young I have always felt that music was going to be a big part of my life. Music has always been something I have felt comfortable doing and is truly an activity that I enjoy. I began playing the piano when I was six. I have entered the VMFC Junior Festival for nine years and have received superior markings every time. I have won 3rd place in the Lion’s Club Bland Competition and have participated in the NVMTA annual competition. I have also played the violin for nine years. I have been part of the NVYSA for six years. I have also been accepted by the Killington (1997) and Aspen (1998) Music Festivals where I have studied with many Juilliard professors. In 1997 I received the Outstanding Soloist award from Langley High School and I also won the Most Outstanding Musician award.
These responsibilities in my life have helped me learn more about myself and understand who I am. I know I will continue to help the Taiwanese community by teaching people about our distinct culture and our fight to gain independence.
Ryan is the son of Dr. and Mrs. Jeremy Hsu
Scarlett Huang
For as long as I can remember, I have always striven to be the best that I can be. Success and achievement in several areas were always my top priority. The desire and determination to fulfill many accomplishments has directed me toward a number of worthwhile activities.
I have always loved music ever since I was young. I began playing the violin at age nine and have continued playing to this day. For nine years, I have been a member of the school orchestra. In addition, I have been taking private lessons for five years. Two years ago, I was one of thirty violinists selected to be a member of the Potomac Valley Youth Orchestra. Because of this, I have also lettered in the school orchestra.
Additionally, I lead the members of a club in school called SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions). Because of my active participation during my freshman year, I held the office positions of secretary during my sophomore year and vice-president during my junior year and am currently president. I am in charge of running officers’ meetings and general staff meetings and have the responsibility of making sure that all activities run successfully.
I have also contributed an infinite number of hours to being a staff member of my school newspaper. I began in my sophomore year when I took journalism and was news editor for the journalism issue. In my junior year, I was copy editor. This year, I was chosen to be beats editor. I write many articles and do layouts as well as gather much information on many of the school’s major events.
In addition, I have considered athletics to be a vital part in my life. I was a member of my school’s swimming and diving team and track and field team during my freshman and sophomore year in which we spent numerous hours competing with many of the area schools.
Beyond these activities, I have spent much time in appreciating my culture and heritage by attending the Washington, D.C. Taiwanese Language School for seven years in which I learned Taiwanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese folk dances. I have performed at many annual events including Taiwan Night, the Asian-American Heritage Dance Festival, the Mother’s Day celebration, and at most Taiwanese activities, gatherings, and social events. At school, I have also been a highly active participant of the Asian Club. With all of these activities, I still manage to receive an A average in all honors and advanced placement courses at school.
Scarlett is the daugher of Mr. and Mrs. Peter H. Huang
