Friedman & Simon, LLP, started the Academic Scholarship as a way to assist exceptional young people with the cost of higher education. This year, Angelina Xu takes home the $1,500 award. Xu is no stranger to awards, having earned a repertoire that includes the George H.W. Bush Daily Points of Light Award, two Presidential Gold Service Awards, the Equitable Excellence Award, Zonta International’s Young Women in Public Affairs Award, and the Junior League of Morristown Voluntarism Award.
Angelina Xu’s Lengthy List of Accomplishments
One of the crowning successes that Angelina Xu has achieved is founding and becoming the first president of her school’s chapter of the Miracle Network. She led the organization to raise over $10,000 toward helping pediatric illness research and treatment. Then, when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and shut down in-person events, Xu organized over 10 hours of Zoom sessions with 1,000 families.
In addition to heading the Miracle Network chapter at her school, Xu also served as the first female president of her school’s Research Club, Biology Club, New Jersey Science League, and National Honors Society. She mentored other young women in the areas of science and research as well.
“I’ve offered 1-on-1 sessions for over 50 girls and expanded our free tutoring program to over 100 students who are struggling during distance learning,” Xu wrote in her winning essay.
These achievements, plus over 500 hours of volunteer work, make Xu an excellent candidate for the Academic Scholarship. But she doesn’t rest there. “I also did extensive biomedical research and published numerous pieces of first-author research to the National Institutes of Health, Journal of Emerging Investigators, and International Neuroethics Society to promote awareness for patients,” she told Friedman & Simon representatives.
Next Steps for Angelina Xu
Entering MIT this year, Xu plans to major in computer science and biology with an eye toward bigger dreams in her post-graduate career. “I’m thinking about pursuing an MD-PhD in computer science and medicine and/or pursuing public health,” she told our representatives.
“As a researcher, I hope to find cost-effective therapies through cutting-edge machine learning technology, and as a physician, I hope to witness patients recover with the therapies I create,” she said.
At Friedman & Simon, LLP, we are proud to provide financial support to help Angelina pursue these lofty goals and dreams. If her past is anything to judge by, Xu will be a truly exceptional student at MIT and successful at whatever she sets her mind to.