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TAYLOR ZHANG Hoover High School Senior Age 17 4.537 GPA Parents  Ke Ming Li and Shu Zhong Zhang TAYLOR’S FAVORITES TEACHERS  Mr. Collier, Mr. Plazak, Mrs. Bowman, miss Walker and Mr. Wood BOOK  “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger RESTAURANT  tasty Garden. but not because it’s my parents’ restaurant or anything like that. HOBBY  Hanging out with the cross country team WHAT’S IN YOUR iPOD OR MP3 PLAYER?  Vampire Weekend, Muse, The Killers, Kid Cudi, Weezer Who would you like to spend a day with and why?  my 10th grade English teacher, Mr. Bunnenberg. He has told me so many amusing anecdotes from his life that the chance of actually being in one of them would be absolutely priceless. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?  hopefully, I’ll be trudging through the wasteland of medical school and residency. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?  Probably to my parents’ hometowns of Anhui and Xi’an in China. They always tell me how hard it was, growing up under the regime of Mao Zedong. If I could witness their humble beginnings firsthand, it would instill a sense of completeness inside me that is mostly absent in the United States. How has your high school changed since your freshman year?  I feel that there really hasn’t been any huge dynamic changes to our school since my own freshman year other than changing the grading scale and removing class rank. however, I can see that administration may plan to remove a period from the school day, which would disrupt many people’s future scheduling plans. What advice would you give the freshmen?  I would want them to try to have a high school career with absolutely no regrets. Now, of course, this is impossible. it may seem trivial now, but as you get closer to senior year you realize that your opportunities and chances are quickly dwindling into thin air. do everything and anything you can in order to have the most enriching, memorable, and fun experiences, because when it’s gone, you can’t go back. If you want it, you have to go get it. Who has been the most influential in your life and why?  That would have to be a combination of my parents and my cross country coaches. my parents have always encouraged and pushed me to do better academically, athletically, and whatever else I’m doing. They have taught me to always do your best in anything you do, because, otherwise, there isn’t a point in doing said thing. my cross country coaches have enforced this ideal. in running, you don’t have to be the most talented person to run fast; all you need is a solid work ethic. I have thus transferred this idea to any and everything else I do. You get what you put into it. What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?  “never say anything that couldn’t stand as the last thing you’ll ever say.” What is the biggest issue facing teens today?  in this day and age, most teens are way too close-minded. They need to look beyond the confines of the setting in which they live in and explore the vast world that is bequeathed to us. Understand that what may seem foreign to us is completely commonplace to others. In a world of TMZ and YouTube, do you think the public has been too intrusive in the life of public figures? Why or why not?  Of course. Everyone  (me, you, Leonardo Dicaprio, etc.) has their good moments and bad moments, and unfortunately we are mostly entertained by the bad moments, which we can watch on TV. I remember sophomore year, when I went to IHOP for the first time in my life, and the waitress asked me how I wanted my eggs. my response, because I was slightly culturally deprived at the time, said “I want them well done.” Needless to say, my friends all laughed at me. it would feel pretty intrusive (and very embarrassing) if that was reported on national television. Just because Leonardo is in a bunch of awesome movies doesn’t make him less human than me. Where is your favorite happening in Stark County?  The Scheetz gas station on the intersection of Pittsburgh and Applegrove. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen someone I know every time I go there to eat or get gas. Plus they have tables outside. If you were issued one do-over from the past four years, what would it be?  I would just have tried more to make the most out of my high school career. I can think of so many missed opportunities, whether it be academically, athletically, or socially. Who would be your Hollywood best friend?  Chris Tucker. We’d be fighting crime together. Who plays you in a movie of your life?  Taylor Lautner. we have several things in common. first off, we have the same first name. second off, he’s almost as attractive as me. Lastly, I find that since my life is mostly unexciting, he could probably fill that role perfectly. Favorite TV show?  “That ’70’s show.” I find that all the really dumb things the characters do correlate with some of the really dumb things I do. and it’s just hilarious. Favorite movie?  “Forrest Gump,” “Pulp Fiction” or “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.” Person you’d least like to be stranded on an island with?  If college applications were people … MTV, Food Network, Travel Channel or History Channel?  I’m not nearly hipster enough to watch the Food Network, so I go with the History Channel. Food you’d never eat?  Icing. I hate icing. SCHOOL ACTIVITIES  National Honor Society (vice president), class officer (president grade 11 and secretary grade 12), Academic Challenge (co-captain), KOM (freshmen mentoring), prom committee, Battle of the Bands emcee, Student Council, school orchestra, school full orchestra, cross country, track and field. COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES  Aultman Hospital Central Service (over 90 hours), wrestling tournament concession stands, elementary school workshop yardwork, school carnival volunteer, graduation junior usher, ceiling tile painting at Aultman, school parent night showcase guide. HONORS AND AWARDS  AP Scholar with Distinction, Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Award, Honor Roll (4 years), Academic Letter, nominated to National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine, Academic Challenge Letter, OMEA solo rating of 1, invited to JV Federal League meet (grade 11).