It’s 9:35 A.M., and hundreds of bleary-eyed students file into the Athletic Center for the weekly school meeting. Conversations, some whispered, others held brazenly, echo off the walls. Amidst all this chaos stands senior Jia Jia Jiang, slides ready, the smile on her face belying the hard work it took to put this event together. For Jia Jia, school meetings aren’t just assemblies, but opportunities to show to the wider community everything our school has to offer — and to share some laughs. 

Jia Jia initially joined the Student Activities Board (SAB) her frosh year to make friends during the pandemic. Since then, she has served three more years on student council. During her tenure, Jia Jia has planned school meetings, coordinated class activities and led school-wide initiatives like the after school sandwich cart. Now, as the Associated Student Body (ASB) secretary, she continues to work in all of these areas, strengthening bonds between her class and the school. Organizing and watching spirit events, in particular, have proven rewarding, 

“I love watching people perform and be in their element,” Jia Jia said. “I love seeing people painting the Eagles during homecoming or doing the window painting during Winterfest. Even though I myself am not super talented artistically or the greatest dancer, I always like to participate to see what my peers are doing. Seeing them excel or be happy in what they’re doing makes me excited.”

These moments, shared in the gym, in the classroom and on the dance floor, are testaments to the profound impact even small differences can make. For Jia Jia, holding student leadership positions has also spurred deep personal growth. 

“Before, I was more of a people pleaser, I was very worried about what other people would think of me and how I made decisions for my class,” Jia Jia said. “But now I realize that if I don’t satisfy every single person, and if one person has a criticism, before that might have affected me a lot, but now, I have a mentality that’s, ‘How can I improve?'”

Senior Sam Parupudi served on ASB with Jia Jia this year, and they affirm Jia Jia’s admirable commitment to her position. However, they also appreciate Jia Jia’s openness as a friend.

“She’s someone who allows me to be childish,” Sam said. “We’ve gotten trick or treating for the past two, three years together, holding on to some that other people might consider childish traditions. Those are some of my fondest memories.”

Jia Jia’s willingness to see other people for who they are permeates every aspect of her life. Senior Robert Fields, who has known Jia Jia all through high school, recognizes her affinity for making people feel seen and heard.

“My first impression was that she was a very fun person who was willing to talk with anyone without judgment,” Robert said. “Jia Jia makes everyone feel like she’s their best friend, and she cares about people. She listens a lot, whether it’s your first time talking or much later.” 

Jia Jia’s other interest, art history, which she has explored through various history classes and AP Art History, meshes well with her desire to understand and appreciate people for who they are. As Near Mitra scholar, Jia Jia studied the works of German artist Käthe Kollwitz, who faced immense personal tragedy after her son died during World War I. Βy studying the raw emotions present in Kollwitz’ and other artists’ works, Jia finds similarities in the expression of the human condition between time periods. 

“Kollwitz, she’s very in tune with her feelings,” Jia Jia said. “She is someone who’s very emotion-based. And she talks a lot about how she wants to convey her emotions, specifically to make sure people feel like they’re not alone.” 

Jia Jia embraces art history and student leadership with curiosity and authenticity, welcoming vulnerability to appreciate the bigger picture. History teacher Mark Janda, who taught Jia Jia in junior year and served as her advisor throughout high school, commends her intrepid nature. 

“Put her in front of 200 people, and it’s not any different than having her in front of 10 people in class,” Janda said. “She’s going to be cracking jokes, she’s going to be self-deprecating and silly, regardless of the audience. She takes things to a whole other level of fearlessness — no shame, no embarrassment.” 

No matter which of her diverse interests she is pursuing, Jia Jia dedicates herself to thoughtfully uncovering and portraying the experiences of others, doing it all with poise and affability. 

“I’ve learned that I want to be a storyteller,” Jia Jia said. “I want to represent the art in a way that holds true to the person who created it. With Kollwitz, I’ve never seen such a blatant expression of grief and how people cope with that emotion. Learning about her has taught me that it’s okay to feel the way we do.”