6 May, 2013
This is the second article in a series from AP Language teacher Michael Franchock as he reconnects with past students. Enjoy!
The Hopkinton community has been fortunate to have many outstanding siblings who have excelled in our school system, including many families who have boasted multiple valedictorians. The Sprachmanns, the Baldigas and, most recently, the Sungs all have had two children who were valedictorians of their class, and for the second installment of our series on outstanding students, I chose to focus on the most recent of these siblings, the Sungs.
Tracking down Julie and Amy Sung proved to be rather difficult. Julie has graduated from college and is currently working as a research assistant at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Soon, she will be going to Medical School at Mount Sinai University in New York City. Amy is still in college at Brown but is studying abroad at Oxford University in England. She has been traveling extensively lately during an academic break. Both were gracious enough to answer my questions about their futures and their memories from Hopkinton.
First, it’s clear that the future is incredibly bright for Julie and Amy. In her studies, Julie has realized that she wants to pursue a medical field where she can build “long term relationships with patients.” Because of her travels, Amy is keeping an open mind about her future but hopes “to do something related to sustainability and environmental issues.” Clearly, both have a desire to use their skills to improve the world in very important ways.
When asked about their memories from Hopkinton, both talked about the friendships they miss from our town. Julie said, “I remember the great friendships I had at HHS, and I definitely miss seeing my friends every day.” Amy agreed, saying, “I miss my friends from Hopkinton the most since I have known most of them for the majority of my life, and it is difficult to build friendships that can be that level of closeness over a few years. But we still get together whenever we can and keep in contact, and even if we don’t, I know I will always have most of my closest friends from Hopkinton.” Amy also talked about missing the comforts of home, including home cooked meals, while Julie discussed the role that her teachers played in her education.
Transition to college was a bit different for the two girls. Julie admitted that “the transition from high school to college was a little overwhelming for me because I overloaded myself with multiple, difficult classes…[however], at Princeton, I had great opportunities such as learning from world-famous professors and going to Singapore for a summer to perform research.” Amy found the transition a bit easier, saying, “transitioning was not actually that difficult for me since the first week of orientation in college kept me so busy that I barely had time to consider the routines that I was abandoning or creating…I had an amazing time in my freshman year as I was exposed to an incredible diversity of people from different backgrounds and countries.” Eventually, both made the most of the opportunities presented to them.
But how was it growing up with a sibling who was so talented and impressive? Did the girls feel pressure? Was there sibling rivalry? According to both, this was mostly not the case. Amy, the younger sibling, admitted that she “found it challenging to an extent to follow in [Julie’s] footsteps in high school as she left a very difficult legacy to match,” but she also said that “growing up with Julie was the best; I can’t imagine not having a sister since she essentially also acts as my best friend. I still contact her on a very frequent basis just to ramble on about what I’ve been doing and ask for advice, as Julie always has wisdom to share. I trust her more than anyone.” Julie also spoke highly of Amy. “I never really found it strange to have Amy also going through the Hopkinton school system,” Julie claimed. “I’m just proud of her for all of her accomplishments.”
When asked what advice they could give current students, both gave answers that were wise beyond their years. Amy said that students today “should not be afraid to stand out, and to not get too caught up in the small things that we tend to obsess over,” while Julie encouraged kids to “pursue what they’re interested in. You don’t need to go to a place like Princeton or be valedictorian of your high school. If you work hard for your dream, you can be successful.” One thing is especially clear. Both of these amazing Hopkinton students are heading toward equally amazing futures.
