For DonorsFor Applicants
user profile avatar

Makenna Wong

455

Bold Points

1x

Finalist

1x

Winner

Bio

Hi! I'm Makenna Wong, a graduating senior at San Marino High School. I am involved in numerous extracurriculars, such as Club and Varsity badminton, robotics, Girl Scouts, clubs, string gig group, and orchestra, and am an active community service volunteer. Some of my hobbies include cooking, baking, staying active, and trying new foods. Attached here is a link to my resume: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y5eJ-NE0fPMWfgK88G5MNHZG3KZa1za4MlExZ38aKuA/edit?usp=sharing. Next year, I will be attending the University of Southern California as a Human Development and Aging major, with the intent of pursuing Gerontology and Oncology.

Education

San Marino High School

High School
2020 - 2024

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Doctoral degree program (PhD, MD, JD, etc.)

  • Majors of interest:

    • Human Biology
    • Microbiological Sciences and Immunology
    • Gerontology
  • Planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Medicine

    • Dream career goals:

      Oncology, Hematology, Gerontology

      Sports

      Badminton

      Club
      2019 – Present5 years

      Awards

      • Nationally ranked 64th in Girls' Singles
      • Almont League 3rd in Girls' Doubles
      • CIF-SS Socal Regional Championships Top 8 in Girls' Doubles

      Research

      • Chemistry

        Caltech Institute of Technology — Student Researcher
        2022 – 2023

      Public services

      • Volunteering

        Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles — Volunteer, Girl Scout in Bronze and Silver Awards
        2012 – Present
      • Volunteering

        City of Hope — Volunteer, Volunteer trainer
        2023 – Present

      Future Interests

      Advocacy

      Volunteering

      Philanthropy

      Entrepreneurship

      San Marino Woman’s Club Scholarship
      Winner
      From an early age, I have been intrigued about medicine and oncology and found great interest in how the body works. I developed this curiosity by taking AP Biology and Chemistry in the same year, being one of the few sophomores taking this college-level class. Yet, this never stopped me from making mistakes and immersing myself in a subject I was attracted to. I enjoyed learning the explanation behind every organic process: how DNA is transcribed and why I feel muscle tiredness after a badminton match. My determination grew in junior year when I chose to take a course with higher difficulty, but like before, AP Chemistry gave me a deeper understanding of inorganic processes. I felt accomplished that I not only succeeded in the class and AP exam, but also gained a genuine appreciation for chemistry. That year, I became a student researcher in the Inorganic Chemistry division of the Caltech STEM Research Program. I worked with professors to research photo-redox light energy and its application to the process of constructing renewable compounds that remove atmospheric Carbon. Reading through multiple graduate-level research articles a week, collaborating with graduate students, and keeping up with weekly research discussions pushed me to take initiative in my own understanding and introduced me to the rigor of university and real-world research. I challenged myself outside the classroom by volunteering over 100 hours at City of Hope Hospital, familiarizing myself with the hospital setting and solidifying my wish to contribute to the fight against cancer.