Tabb High School - Class of 2019

Anni Wang

1. Age: 18
2. Parents: Min Tang (mother) and Haishi Wang (Father)
3. GPA: 5.00
4. High School Extracurricular activities: Pianist at the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division in New York City (received awards at the North International Music Competition, Emuse International Music Competition, Vivo International Music Competition, Grand Prize Virtuoso International Music Competition, and the National YoungArts Foundation, and was one of eleven pianists invited internationally to attend the Eastern Music Festival, attended the Sulzbach Rosenberg International Music Festival in Germany), Virginia State Leadership Representative at the National Beta Club, Debate Club, Intern at the NASA, National Honor Society, Tri-M Music Honor Society, Student Association Board at the Governor's School for Science and Technology
5. Community Involvement: Volunteer at the Virginia Living Museum, and as a piano accompanist for music students
6. College attending: University of California, Berkeley
7. Studying/Major: Social Sciences (Economics)
8. Name one thing you learned in high school that you didn't expect to learn: If a man is standing next to you in Paris selling you train tickets to Versailles for two hundred euros, he is, IN FACT, scamming you.
9. Name one person who has influenced you and why: Alexander McQueen has greatly influenced me in my ideas and who I am as a person. When I was younger, I was lucky enough to witness his Savage Beauty collection on YouTube, and it opened my eyes to how fashion and the arts was often satirical and designed to portray and comment on major societal issues. This heavily influenced me in the way I played piano - I delved deeper into contemporary music that similarly portrayed modern-era issues (such as the Vietnam War or feminism), inspired by the fearless capability of McQueen to defy critics and fearlessly send his own ideas into the world.
10. Is there a teacher you would most like to thank and why: Dr. Solomon Mikowsky, my piano teacher at the Manhattan School of Music and my absolute eye-opener to what the definition of music was. To me, and most of my peers in Yorktown, Virginia, the true difficulty in piano playing was the "loud and fast," not the intricate details and the "gentle and soft" nestled within J.S. Bach. Dr. Mikowsky, thankfully, changed such a mindset. Piano no longer was a competition for me, but rather a method of education in which I learned how to implement my own ideas and the historical background of a piece into my music, rather than always listening to ideas or suggestions meant to impress at a competition without a second thought. I'm glad he put me out of such a toxic mindset, and even more grateful that he taught me how to think for myself.
11. Favorite quote or catchphrase: "Fairy tales do not tell children that dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children that dragons can be killed" - G.K. Chesterton
12. Most cherished high school memory: We drove along the highway in Germany on the way to the airport following the conclusion of the Sulzbach Rosenberg Music Festival. About one hour into the drive, I spotted a giant sunflower field, illuminated by the sunlight. That one second felt like a year, but in that year, everything felt calm, peaceful, and just exquisitely perfect.

Yifan Wang

1. Age: 19
2. Parents: Dr. Shaoheng Wang and Mrs. Linjiao Deng
3. GPA: 4.8571
4. High School Extracurricular activities: Varsity Tennis, flute, Tri-M, Mu Alpha Theta, National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society
5. Community Involvement: Virginia Living Museum
6. College attending: Cornell University
7. Studying/Major: Electrical Engineering
8. Name one thing you learned in high school that you didn't expect to learn: I did not expect to learn about the fact that Loui XV loved cats and had many of them at Versaille, but I'm really glad I did.
9. Name one person who has influenced you and why: Anni Wang, the valedictorian of Tabb High School, has been a main influencer of my entire high school career. Anni's hard-working personality showed me that it was never okay to give up. Anni taught me that I should always push myself and never shy away from opportunities.
10. Is there a teacher you would most like to thank and why: I would like to thank Dr. Rhett Woo from the Governor's School for Science and Technology. Dr. Woo pushed me to my limits and made me realize I could accomplish so much more than what I thought.
11. Favorite quote or catchphrase: "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." - Wayne Gretzky
12. Most cherished high school memory: I will always remember when a student-led band went around the whole school serenading the students.