You are here

Kelly Wu

Thursday, August 30, 2018

From community outreach through high school clubs to meeting international delegates at the National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) in West Virginia, Kelly Wu feels most at home learning about different communities and people. This, combined with her love for chemistry, positions Kelly to fulfill her goals of solving real-world problems and improving people’s lives.

Wu is a graduate of James Madison Memorial High School in Madison. She participated in myriad clubs and experiences to explore her interest in chemistry and her community. “The opportunities I was given academically and socially meant I could talk to lots of different types people,” she said.

Kelly Wu
Kelly Wu

These opportunities include a broad expanse of learning and serving, like participation in Advanced Placement classes, dual enrollment, and the Spartan Youth Service Club to volunteer around Madison. She also worked in a summer research internship at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in chemical engineering. The project was based on biofuel synthesis for converting ethanol to common fuels like diesel or jet fuel.

Wu spoke most highly of Ann Comins, her 9th-grade chemistry teacher. The person who helped her find a subject she loves. “I enjoyed all of the chemistry we did from the experiments to learning about the periodic table, the trends. I knew this is a subject I could really get into,” she said. With her teacher’s help, Kelly was able to intern in a chemical engineering lab for two summers, take Organic Chemistry at UW-Madison, and even start a chemistry club at the high school.

The most recent highlight from Wu’s high school experience actually took place shortly after she graduated. She attended the National Youth Science Camp, which is a residential education program for high school students. She was one of two students from Wisconsin chosen to attend the camp, along with student representatives from other states and countries. Students participated in STEM-related academic experiences, outdoor activities, events, and a trip to Washington D. C. to talk with members of the United States Senate.

“We didn’t have cell service,” Wu said about the camp. “This built more genuine connections because there were no outside distractions.” She thoroughly enjoyed her time meeting other people and getting to understand different perspectives and backgrounds.

While Wu spoke fondly of her time as a high school student, when asked if there was anything she could change about high school, she mentioned the emphasis on sports as extracurricular activities. “Athletes do deserve recognition, but it would be great to have more talent recognized,” she said.

Aside from her intense interest in chemistry, Wu learned to balance her life and schedule which also included playing tennis, playing the violin for the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra, and volunteering in her community.

Kelly will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the fall to study chemical engineering in the Department of Materials and Science and Engineering.