Academic Devotion
I aspire to be a lifelong learner. Exploring new academic fields always excites me. During my time at Emma Willard School, I consistently dedicated time to learning, maintaining top academic records, and I'm a junior book award winner. Academically, I have been able to fully commit to my passion for mathematics and the intersection of economics, technology, and entrepreneurship.
Emma Willard School Junior Book Awards
Award Citation
When this student makes a commitment, she delivers. A dancer, mathematician, problem-solver, and leader, this student is a true Renaissance woman. While her talents are many, she selects her challenges with discernment, always with an eye toward personal growth. Her motivation in all things is to understand the “big WHY.” Perhaps her success is due in part to the entrepreneurial spirit she brings to her work, whether in service learning, choreography on the dance floor, community leadership as a Wellie, or in a Signature project understanding financial literacy and impact investing. Incredibly hard working, infectiously positive, and remarkable in her range, we award this Junior Book Award to Emily Chang.
Award Description
The junior book awards honor students whose academic records are among the strongest in the junior class. Awardees exhibit intellectual commitment, and a self-directed and purposeful vision for their lives. Awardees have been active participants in extracurricular activities and leadership, and have made significant contributions to the life of the school.
Mathematics
Albany Area Math Circle member since 2023 and student liaison (11-12):
competition math, graph theory, and college-level math theory
The school's selected math competition member
The school's selected math and science tutor, PRIMZES
The only junior who got permitted to double in Advanced Studies Statistics and Advanced Studies Calculus AB
Took the highest level math Calculus C with Multivariable by senior year
2025.11 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament
2025 MathWorks Math Modeling Competition
2024 Harvard-MIT Mathematics Tournament
2024, 2025 Mathcounts scorer volunteer
2024, 2025 Purple Comet math competition
2024 New York State Math League Division A
2023 Cornell Big Red Math Competition
2023 AMC 10 score: 99.5 top 5% in girls
2023 Mathlings NY chapter competition math tutor
2023 GirlsxMRO mathematics camp
Economics x Technology
Signature Project (School's capstone program)
In my Signature Project, I want to empower youth through peer-education and developing a website, accessible for students online, offering AI chatbot assistant, latest news, stock market charts, and ESG investment analysis by integrating technology as a problem-solving skill, I wish to motivate students not only to understand the power of financial literacy but also to learn investment strategies beyond traditional investing, connecting to the global economy.
Particularly, I explore the impact investing trend and share my perspectives on impact investing with my community through the lenses of investors vs. company operations, the ideal definition vs. reality controversy, and the challenges vs. potentials. Collaborating with school's business-related class and clubs, I spend more than 280 minutes in class sharing financial literacy and impact investing.
Project : https://sites.google.com/emmawillard.org/emily-c-signature-2425/home (2024)
ESG investing website
Harvard International Economic Essay Competition Highly Commended Award
I submitted a paper to the Harvard International Economic Essay Competition, presenting my independent research which analyzed the economic impacts of Central Bank Digital Currency, FinTech, and financial inclusion. Out of a global pool of applicants, I was selected as 1 of only 15 individuals worldwide to receive a Highly Commended Award for my work.
"The Double-Edged CBDCs: Innovation, Risk, and Monetary Policy"
High School FED Challenge Lead
With my long-term commitment to food security, volunteering at the food pantry and the food bank, I organized a team of 7 students to research and create a podcast script about the "Economics of Food." We not only submit a podcast script to the High School Fed Challenge, but also raise awareness of food insecurity in the community, conduct interviews with the industry partnership director at the regional food bank, and develop a food sustainability website.
Paper: "Behind the Scenes: The Economics of Food Banks"
Website: EcoBite
Self-learning
