Joyce Cheng of James Madison High School in Springfield, VA has been honored with the 2016 Earth Day Award. Joyce cofounded her high school’s Environmental Club as a sophomore. The Environmental Club has participated in projects such as Ban the Bottle, Wheels to Africa, and Trout in the Classroom. Joyce’s newest endeavor has been to install solar panels in her district's schools. Joyce and members of the Environmental Club obtained nearly 600 signatures, invited a Sierra Club representative to speak to their school about the benefits of solar panels, and they presented research, petitions, and a list of the benefits of solar panels to the school board. Fairfax County Public Schools are currently working with solar companies to install solar panels in their schools. Joyce has conducted research on vitro effects on anticoagulants on blood coagulation at Georgetown University. She is a youth teacher for the Hope Chinese School Youth Leadership Program, and she is president of the Biology Club and Science Olympiad. See Q&A presentation with Joyce Cheng, 2016 NSHSS Earth Day Award recipient. National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

1. The National Society of High School Scholars
Learn. Lead. Change the World.
www.nshss.org

2. Earth Day Award
Joyce Cheng Q&As

3. Joyce Cheng, Springfield, Virginia
James Madison High School, 2016

4. Joyce Cheng, Springfield, Virginia
James Madison High School, 2016
Joyce cofounded her high school’s Environmental Club as a sophomore. The Environmental
Club has participated in projects such as Ban the Bottle, Wheels to Africa, and Trout in the
Classroom. Joyce’s newest endeavor has been to install solar panels in her district’s schools.
Joyce and members of the Environmental Club obtained nearly 600 signatures, invited a Sierra
Club representative to speak to their school about the benefits of solar panels, and they
presented research, petitions, and a list of the benefits of solar panels to the school board.
Fairfax County Public Schools are currently working with solar companies to install solar panels
in their schools. Joyce has conducted research on vitro effects on anticoagulants on blood
coagulation at Georgetown University. She is a youth teacher for the Hope Chinese School
Youth Leadership Program, and she is president of the Biology Club and Science Olympiad.

5. 1. Tell us about how you became interested in starting an Environmental Club in your school.

6. 1. Tell us about how you became interested in starting an Environmental Club in your school.
Five of my friends and I founded our school’s Students for Environmental Action Club our sophomore year, because we are
all really passionate about environmental activism. We saw an opportunity to make a difference in our community by creating
an organization that focused more on taking action than just spreading awareness. We wanted to help educate our school’s
students about the importance of environmental protection by implementing various hands-on projects.

7. 2. If there were one thing you could predict about the future of science, what would it be?

8. 2. If there were one thing you could predict about the future of science, what would it be?
I believe that there will definitely be a focus on researching and developing new sources of renewable energy in the coming
years. Solar panels have already become significantly more efficient in the past few decades to the point where some families
can power their entire home every year using only solar energy. Societies will definitely be forced to move away from fossil
fuels soon as the supply decreases, so environmental engineering may become one of the most important focuses of science in
the future.

9. 3. If there were one thing
you could have in the
classroom that you don’t
currently, what would
it be?

10. 3. If there were one thing
you could have in the
classroom that you don’t
currently, what would
it be?
I would love for there to be a
better recycling program in school,
or even a composting program.
Our school does not recycle most
of the time, which is extremely
detrimental to the environment,
since schools use so much paper
that is 100% recyclable. In addition,
a huge amount of food is wasted
by our students in the cafeteria.
If we had a composting program,
the food could be turned into
nutritious soil, which could be
used to plant a school garden.

11. 4. Tell us about your favorite teacher, how have they supported or inspired you?

12. 4. Tell us about your favorite teacher, how have they supported or inspired you?
One of my favorite teachers in high school was my AP Chemistry teacher. She truly cares about her students and strives to teach
them the skills and material needed for not only the AP exam, but for the subject as a whole. She made the strongest effort to
help students by staying late after school, being available through emails, and utilizing blackboard (online program to keep track
of assignments, course documents, etc.). Her dedication to the subject she teaches inspires me. She has stayed after school until
11 pm and come in on weekends to grade assignments and help students. The level of commitment to her job should be admired
and practiced by everyone for any task they take on.

13. 5. How has NSHSS played a role
in your academic career?

14. 5. How has NSHSS played a role
in your academic career?
NSHSS provides many resources and
scholarships for high school students
that can help further their academic
career. I appreciate how they offer merit-
based scholarships, since my family
does not qualify for need-based aid
but still needs assistance in paying for
college. My parents were first-generation
immigrants and they started their careers
comparatively late, so they do not have
many savings, although they make what
appears to be a high income. Although
the Earth Day Award may be the only
scholarship I receive from NSHSS, I
am glad they offer these scholarship
opportunities to students who may not
find financial assistance elsewhere.

15. 6. What is your fondest
or memory related to the
Environmental Club so far?

16. 6. What is your fondest
or memory related to the
Environmental Club so far?
My favorite memories from SEA Club are
from when the six founding members
went on water quality testing trips. We
had fun wading in the stream and holding
on to each other’s arms to keep from
falling down while we tested water quality
factors like dissolved oxygen levels and
riffle run quality. I remember that we once
went to a rural area where there were
mulberry trees, which you don’t often see
in the suburbs of northern VA, and we
ate fresh mulberries from the trees. We
always bonded on the trips and learned a
lot from our club sponsors as well.

17. 7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

18. 7. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
In 10 years, I hope to have graduated medical school
and be working as a medical resident at a hospital. I
also wish to continue my passion for environmental
advocacy by taking part in various environmental
service and activism projects.

19. 8. What do you plan to study in college?

20. 8. What do you plan to study in college?
I plan to major in either general biology or human
biology with a minor in either global public health,
neuroscience, or business on the pre-med track.
I want to explore these fields in college before making
a decision. I definitely plan to take environmental
science related classes, as environmental conditions
have a huge impact on public health.

21. 9. What do you hope for this year’s
incoming High School Freshman class?

22. 9. What do you hope for this year’s
incoming High School Freshman class?
I hope that they learn to pursue the subjects they
are passionate about, and take part in activities
that they truly love, instead of solely focusing on
activities that will look good on a resume. I hope
they make amazing memorable friends like I did,
and have teachers that they can look up to.

23. 10. Outside of your environmental
advocacy involvement, what has been
your favorite / most enjoyable aspect of
high school?

24. 10. Outside of your environmental
advocacy involvement, what has been
your favorite / most enjoyable aspect of
high school?
I’ve enjoyed participating in and being the president
of Science Olympiad, a club where I met many
close friends who also share a love for science.
We take part in competitions each year where we
can win medals for doing well in events that relate
to different areas of science, such as entomology,
anatomy, forensics, and more. Our team is as close
as a family, and we have lots of fun at competitions
and at group dinners after our competitions.

25. 11. What do you do to stay
organized / focused?

26. 11. What do you do to stay
organized / focused?
I have always used effective time
management skills in my academic studies
and activities outside of school. I write
events down in a planner so I can keep my
schedule organized. I start assignments as
soon as I receive them, and prioritize harder
subjects and homework that is due soon.

27. 12. How do you relax? What’s your favorite
hobby?

28. 12. How do you relax? What’s your favorite
hobby?
I love playing violin, painting, and reading for fun. I find it
relaxing to do any one of these things when I am stressed. Like
any other high schooler, I like hanging out with my friends, but
I also enjoy having time to myself. I often read before going to
bed, and I find time to paint or draw for a few hours each week.

29. 13. Do you have a motto? If so, what is it?

30. 13. Do you have a motto? If so, what is it?
I don’t exactly have a “motto,” but one quote my orchestra
teacher says a lot stands out to me. She loves Beethoven’s
quote, “To play a wrong note is insignificant; to play without
passion is inexcusable.” This quote does not only apply to
music; it also applies to everyone’s everyday lives. It means that
it is okay to make mistakes and not be perfect, as long as you
put passion and commitment into whatever you do.

31. For more information:
Contact Us: (866) 343-1800
Visit: www.nshss.org