Photo courtesy of Tina Gao.
Vestavia Hills High School senior Tina Gao has participated on the math team and speech and debate team, as well as in student government. This fall, she heads to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Vestavia Hills High School senior Tina Gao has participated on the math team and speech and debate team, as well as in student government. This fall, she heads to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to study applied mathematics.
Q: Please tell our readers about yourself.
A: I am a current senior at VHHS. I grew up in Vestavia, so it’s surreal that I’m graduating. I love math, technology, instrumental music, sci-fi, deep conversations speculating the future and all the joys the internet has to offer.
Q: What extracurricular activities do you participate in at VHHS?
A: I’m pretty involved. My main activities are math team, speech and debate, and student government, but I try new activities every year as side quests. This year it was the economics competition.
Q: Do you have a favorite teacher or course at VHHS? Why and how has it impacted you?
A: I have a hard time deciding. My favorite class experience was AP chemistry because the class covalently bonded over the challenging material and the labs. By the end of the year, we were all friends and we shared many core memories of FRQ booklets, LabQuest titrations and Mrs. Sutherland’s aromatic soaps.
Q: Who is your role model? Why?
A: Professor Po-Shen Loh. When he’s not teaching at Carnegie Mellon, he is traveling the world to spread accessible math education that is resilient to AI. Despite his many accomplishments, he is very humble and is fully present when he listens to people. When I met him for the first time in seventh grade, he inspired me to take on challenges in math and in life. It was an epic full circle moment when I was hired to teach for his online math classes!
Q: What are your plans following high school? Where do you plan to attend college, and in what do you plan to major?
A: I will study applied math at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Q: What is your favorite thing about attending VHHS? About living in Vestavia Hills?
A: I would say a defining part of VHHS is the amount of effort people put into whatever they do, from academics to extracurriculars to relationships. The effort definitely compounds excellence. My favorite part about living in Vestavia Hills is that the atmosphere is relaxed but there are plenty of community activities. The wider Vestavia community is very involved with the schools.
Q: What is something people may be surprised to learn about you?
A: I like nature. I’m a pretty techy person, but I also like going outside, taking walks and stopping to inspect plants and animals that interest me. If I could survive three weeks without Wi-Fi on my camping trip last summer, there is still hope in the future.
Q: What advice would you give incoming freshmen or students new to VHHS?
A: You will be surprised by how far you can go when you test your limits and expand beyond your comfort zone, so don’t be afraid to go all in on your goals. As a freshman, I could not have imagined doing all that I do now, so you can grow a lot in four years.
