Jolene Nesnas and Ethan Wang, recent graduates of San Marino High School, were the recipients of the fifth annual Yun-Chung W. Chang Memorial Scholarships, which are presented in memory of the mother of local board of education President Joseph Chang.
The scholarships are presented to two SMHS graduating seniors who have shown an interest in secondary study in the medical sciences in honor of Yun-Chung Chang, who was a pharmacist and physician’s assistant in her native Taipei, Taiwan.
Nesnas and Wang, recipients of the 2020 scholarships, were in attendance at SMHS’ drive-thru graduation last Friday.
During her four years at the school, Nesnas participated in several programs offered by the science department while cultivating a passion in the arts. She earned a spot in Caltech’s STEM program in the synthetic chemistry group during her junior year. Nesnas also devoted a large part of her time to the dance and drama departments, where she performed alongside some of her closest friends.
She will attend UC San Diego and major in human biology. “After really enjoying my biology and chemistry classes and volunteering at the Huntington Hospital, it became clear to me that I wanted to pursue a career path in medicine,” Nesnas said. “In the future, I hope to specialize in pediatrics as I love interacting with children.”
The daughter of Sue and Issa Nesnas hopes to continue her passion for the arts in college while advocating for the environment.
Wang is headed to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he will major in public health on a premed track. He received a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, awarded to JHU freshmen to fund a research project. Wang’s research will be aimed at helping facilitate early detection of cognitive decline and dysfunction in nearby Baltimore neighborhoods through the use of mobile technology.
The son of Sandy Chien and Mathew Wang discovered a new interest through his participation in the school’s speech and debate team. He also developed his leadership skills through the Interact Club and the Random Acts of Kindness Club. He was named a National Merit finalist his senior year.
Wang spent two summers interning at USC, where he collaborated with researchers on a manuscript for which he helped prepare the analyses and literature reviews.
During quarantine, he worked alongside his sister, Serena, and a group of students in developing an application called CovidSMS, a texting platform that provides local COVID-19 information and updates. The platform was adopted for use by the city of San Marino. Individuals can access the program by texting their ZIP code to (888) 414-5539.
While at SMHS, Wang was a four-year member of the Interact Club, which ignited his drive to help the community.
“Our family is very proud of this year’s recipients,” said Chang, who is midway through his fifth term on the school board. “We are pleased to honor my mother’s dedication to health care with these scholarships.”
