Driven. Engaging. Supportive. Senior Jacqueline Huang is the kind of person who doesn’t just excel in a room — she elevates it. Whether in the classroom, at club meetings or simply in conversation, Jacqueline radiates an energy that naturally draws people in and fosters both collaboration and inspiration. 

Jacqueline explored and engaged in physics after the subject sparked her interest in her frosh and sophomore years. She appreciates the mental aspects of physics and the learning experiences she gained from studying it. 

“I thought it was fun and calming to think through what’s going on in each problem, even if it’s the simplest question,” Jacqueline said. “In my own time, I taught myself other fields of physics, ranging from thermodynamics to special relativity. Initially, I liked it a lot because I thought that it was similar to math where you could describe all of the physical phenomena using some equations, but later on, I realized that you can’t really prove the theorems that you start off with.”

Her love of learning persisted and stood out to science teacher Chris Spenner, who taught Jacqueline in AP Physics C and Honors Advanced Research. Spenner notices her boundless curiosity regarding physics alongside her inclination to include others in class. 

“Within a couple of weeks of the first day of class, she and another student were showing up to office hours with extra questions they had been thinking about on their own,” Spenner said. “Whoever else was in the room, she would put the question up on the whiteboard and bring the whole room into it. It wasn’t just about getting an answer from me; she wanted everyone to engage.”

Jacqueline’s genuine passion and community-oriented mindset shines through all of the activities she leads. She also appreciates the physics community that she has been involved in over the past few years, and enjoys seeing the outcome of her hard work at the Harker Physics Invitational.

“It’s really rewarding to see all of the middle schoolers working together and debating about different solutions to the questions,” Jacqueline said. “During that time, the air is just filled with the chatter of people working through their steps, arguing over interpretations of the question or even laughing about what they are doing. That really captures the essence of the community and the love that we are trying to foster.”

Close friend senior Iris Cai commends Jacqueline’s persistence and drive in all that she does, and highlights her dedication to things she is passionate about. Whether it is spending time studying with friends, leading research club discussions or advocating for additional funding for her clubs, Jacqueline never hesitates to push for change. 

“She’s very true to what she believes in,” Iris said. “I don’t think she’s the kind of person to be a bystander or just stay quiet or go with whatever everyone else is saying if it’s something wrong or something she doesn’t believe in. She’s not afraid to speak out and that extends to the way that she is friends with us and making sure we all feel happy.” 

Outside of physics, Jacqueline is also involved in speech and debate, which provided her with a vast array of knowledge about various subjects. 

“I did enjoy just exploring speech and debate over the past few years,” Jacqueline said. “I enjoyed learning about different social issues, and in class we also have discussions about funny philosophical or psychological phenomena, which is always fun.”

Close friend senior Kaitlyn Su, who participated in speech and debate with Jacqueline, recalls how their friendship deepened through long conversations in the shared class.  

“Our friendship feels very natural,” Kaitlyn said. “I don’t think there is anything I need to keep from her or be afraid of telling her. She doesn’t judge, and you can be authentic with her. Sometimes during speech class, we can check out, and we would just walk all over campus and talk about everything. It’s nice to have someone you can just project all your thoughts out to.”

While Jacqueline strives to make change in the community, her work is rooted in her dedication to helping others. Throughout her time at Harker, Jacqueline always remained thoughtful and curious. She learned over time that questions are essential to build a fundamental understanding of any subject. 

“Over the years, I’ve become more willing to ask questions to admit that I don’t know what’s going on,” Jacqueline said. “Sometimes I ask questions that sound very stupid, but after having a more conceptual understanding of the basics of what’s going on, it’s much easier to grasp the harder concepts.”