Collin Wang is a high school student from California with diverse interests in STEM, particularly in the social sciences, psychology, and philosophy. His fascination with hands-on science experiments has fueled his interest in understanding the human mind and behavior. As an active member of his school's Creative Writing Club and president of the Asian Student Union, Collin is dedicated to fostering community and creativity among his peers.
For years, Collin was interested in starting his own creative writing blog, and after being inspired by his mentors in the fellowship, he took the final steps in its creation. He has since founded The Writer’s Orchard, a platform for students to share their creative writing and opinion pieces. Read on to learn more about Collin, his journey blending his interests in STEM, and his aspirations for the future!
Meet Collin!
How did you initially become interested in STEM?
I've always liked STEM from a young age because I've done a lot of different STEM-based activities in elementary and middle school. I've tried various fields, like robotics and traditional sciences such as chemistry, biology, and physics. I particularly enjoy the traditional sciences, especially the hands-on labs, which are my favorite part of science. I remember this year we had a physics lab with a Van de Graaff generator, and when people put their hands on it, their hair stood on end. It was just a really cool experiment that usually isn't accessible in most other classes, and I love seeing cool things!
What specific academic subjects or fields of STEM are you most interested in?
I'd probably choose the social sciences because I'm particularly fascinated with the human mind. I like them all, you know what I mean? In particular, I would say psychology and maybe philosophy. I took psychology last year, and I found it interesting to see how people respond to stimuli differently! I'm also taking philosophy this year, and it's really interesting to learn about the different ideologies. Right now, we're studying Socrates in philosophy, and I think it's really interesting to learn about how his writings from 2,000 years ago are still relevant today. I find that really inspiring!
Could you share a bit about what extracurricular activities you're involved in?
My biggest interest right now is probably writing. I'm part of the Creative Writing Club and the newspaper organization at my school, which helps me connect with people who have similar interests. Also, I run the Writer's Orchard, where students submit creative and opinion writing. It's been really rewarding to see others succeed in their own writing and create a platform where high schoolers can share their voices and ideas with like-minded peers. Usually, it's not really accessible at school because English classes are mostly focused on analytical writing. I also really enjoy the editing and organizing process, and I think that helps me grow as a person and better communicate with others. Additionally, I'm part of the Asian Student Union. I'm president this year, so we're running different events based on Asian culture, and it's a great way to build community.
Fellowship Experience
What was your favorite part about the Summit STEM Fellowship this summer?
My favorite part was definitely the people there. All the mentors were really great, and all the students were super driven. During the coffee chats, I was able to talk to a lot of other capable students from all over the world. It’s not easy to talk to people internationally, so it was a really good experience to connect with others outside of California, especially since I've lived in the Bay Area my whole life. The mentors were all really knowledgeable in their fields, and it was great that we could pick and choose the topics we wanted to learn more about and attend office hours to talk to them. The people were definitely the best part of the experience!
Did you have a favorite talk or mentor that resonated with you?
Yeah, I especially liked Isabella Delbakhsh’s Fireside Chat the most, where she talked about bringing ideas into reality. It actually inspired me to start my blog! I've been thinking about doing something like that for a while, and it was just a great way for me to kickstart something that I don't think I would have started if it wasn't for the Fellowship and Isabella’s session.
What specific skills or takeaways did you learn from the fellowship?
The first skill that resonated with me is that time is a really valuable asset. Starting young gives you more time to work with, and it also means you get more support because adults love helping young people. They want to see the next generation succeed, so I think that's a good takeaway. The second takeaway is that cold emailing is really powerful. You don't really lose anything when you do it, and the benefits you can gain are significant. I remember in most of the Fireside Chats, the mentors talked about how they got a lot of different opportunities just from cold emailing people, and they wouldn't have gotten those opportunities if they hadn't taken that initiative.
The "you have nothing to lose" mentality is probably the biggest thing I learned from the Fellowship. Most of the sessions were centered around just getting ideas out into the world, and I think that was the most valuable theme from the Fellowship.
What advice would you give to future Summit STEM fellows?
Be open-minded and take full advantage of the opportunities to connect with mentors and peers! Those conversations and relationships can be incredibly useful and inspiring, even long after the program ends.
Future Aspirations
What are your goals over the next five to ten years?
In five to ten years, I definitely want to pursue psychology as my undergraduate major. I’m also exploring other topics, like business, but I’m not 100% sure yet. I really want to find something that I can blend with writing because I enjoy writing a lot.
How did the fellowship influence your career aspirations?
It showed me that combining two different fields into one career is possible. I've seen a lot of mentors talk about how they merged different interests into one job or research project. That's something I really want to try in the future because combining all my interests would help me be more passionate about what I do, and I think that's really important for succeeding.
What have you been up to after the fellowship?
I'm pursuing the Writer's Orchard, trying to publish as many pieces as possible. I'm also considering reaching out to not just high school students, but potentially adding an adult section, which could be cool. Exploring other languages could be interesting as well! Besides that, I'm focused on my junior year, as there are a lot of AP tests and college applications!
