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Top Ten Profiles maldenblueandgold.com
7. Bestine Cong Julie Lam Managing Editor of Local
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s the year comes to an end, seniors across Malden High School are ready to turn to the next chapter. Among those seniors stands Bestine Cong, who is ranked as seventh in her class. Throughout Cong’s four years of high school, she was able achieve an outstanding GPA while being able to juggle other after school activities.
Although Cong is recognized as one of MHS’s top students academically, she is also very involved in sports. Starting from a very young age, Cong was a part of club swim team and also the MHS swim team the beginning of her freshmen year. Cong swam for the MHS swim team all four years and also was also able to help bring MHS the Greater Boston League champion title during her junior and senior years as captain. Throughout her excellent athletic
Photo by Julie Lam
8. Benny Guan Sumya Mohiuddin Head of Local
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ith high goals and a strong work ethic, Benny Guan proved to be academically successful in his endless endeavors during his time at Malden High School. Deciding to take Advanced Placement United States History became a turning point in Guan’s life. The class taught him “about time management due to sheer workload, which was extremely difficult [for him].” However, he continued to take challenging courses and endured the struggles from each of them. After taking many classes, Guan found an interest in biology and computer science. Now, he can easily advise upcoming freshmen to “take all the opportunities given to [them], and to take all the Honors and AP classes that interest [them].” Science teacher Shannon Votaw enjoyed her time with Guan in the classroom. She will not forget his good personality and sense of humor, which proves that he is “not all about facts.” Guan is a mixture of compelling thoroughness and admirable humor. Guan was not all about academics: he enjoyed sports and clubs as well. Guan has been apart of the Badminton Club since sophomore year, where he “learned about teamwork.” During his senior year,
The Blue and Gold Graduation 2014
Guan widened his scope of activities by joining the Asian American Club, in which he learned more about his culture, and Chemistry Club, in which he learned that “chemistry was not the best subject for him.” Guan learned a lot about himself while participating in his extracurricular activities. Among many other MHS seniors, Guan ended his year by completing an five weeks of internship. Working in Mayor Gary Christenson’s office gave Guan great experience in computer programming while in a new environment. Guan also copied, filed, and sorted forms. Every summer, Mayor Christenson offers summers jobs to local students, and Guan was responsible for reading those forms, which included an essay. It was a different kind of work than he was used to. Although he originally wanted to work for a software programming company in Boston, he learned a lot in retrospect. Among many of Guan’s teachers, guidance counselors can agree that Guan is a studious and diligent worker; after some time, they can also agree that he has a great sense of humor. Boyle House guidance counselor Erin Craven started working with Guan his sophomore year; it was easy to notice Guan’s diligent
achievements, Cong was awarded as the “MHS Athlete of the Year” at the end of this year. Cong expresses that she would love to continue her swimming career at Bucknell if there is a club team. MHS swim team coach Jessica Bisson describes Cong as very “hardworking,” who always “pushes to achieve what she wants.” Unfortunately, with her busy schedule, Cong does not believe she could handle swimming with the Division 1 team. Cong was also a part of the crew team her junior year. Along her journey through high school, Cong has learned many things from her peers. One of her favorite things about high school is that “it really opened [her] up to so many different perspectives and beliefs.” Throughout her high school career, Cong also expresses her love for the experience of meeting many different people. When trying to specifically name a certain person that inspired her, Cong couldn’t just think of one. Cong reveals that there are many people that have influenced her including “[her] parents, friends, coaches, and teachers.” Cong also mentions that they all “[play] a significant part in influencing who [she is].” Throughout most students’ high school career, they are bound to step out of their comfort zone. For Cong it was to take AP Physics. Cong expresses the level of difficulties of physics considering that she
had no prior knowledge of it. After experience the course Cong also admits that physics is “unnaturally difficult,” and signing up for the class was a kind of “spur of the moment thing” where she thought she “might as well take it since it’s different” from other classes she has taken. Since the fourth grade, Cong had strong feelings towards her studies of the Italian language. Cong confessed that “[her] absolute favorite subject, without a doubt, is Italian.” With her love and passion for the Italian language, Cong has concluded that she will be majoring in Italian while attending Bucknell University. While attending Bucknell, Cong will actually be double majoring in biochemistry as well. Although Cong reveals that she isn’t sure what career she wants in the future, one of her goals are to fluently speak Italian and “go backpacking through Italy one day.” As for next year, Cong plans to have a “balanced and productive first year at Bucknell,” and also be able to maintain her academics. Cong also plans to be involved with sports, clubs and meet as many new people as she possibly can. Before leaving MHS, Cong advises underclassmen to not “be afraid of anything or anyone and if there’s something you want… work to earn it.”
“Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow. -Anthony J. D’Angelo
personality and the “confidence [he had] about his academics.” Craven advises Guan to “remember to have a good time inside and outside of the classroom.” Votaw, similarly, reminds Guan to “enjoy college and the freedom.” High school has taught Guan to challenge himself as much as he can, and because of that, Guan has reached his full potential. This following fall, Guan will be attending Boston University, where he plans “to dual major in computer science and biology.” Apart from his academic studies, Guan wishes to meet more peo-
ple from around the world, similar to MHS. The unique diversity the high school has to offer intrigued Guan, and he hopes to keep that part with him wherever he goes.