Elk City High School senior Becky Yang has joined the top 100 seniors in Oklahoma by being named as an Academic All State by the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence for being top in her class and in the state. She is also one of seven in the state who scored a perfect 36 on her ACT. She will be honored at the 38th Annual Academic Awards Celebration Sat., May 4th, at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Conference Center in Norman.
Yang is the daughter of Shao Hua Ma and Xiao Hong Yang. She has one 16-year-old sister, Annky Yang. She is the niece of Xiao Peng Yang and his wife. Yang and her family are of Chinese descent and own and operate Golden China Buffet, located on the corner of Janet’s Way and Route 66 in Elk City.
Not only has Yang proven her academic achievement with her ACT score, but she has also excelled in her concurrent college classes and AP high school courses. She has taken the maximum number of hours that she has been able to as a junior and senior in high school. This will put her ahead in college credits as she starts to further her education.
“I’m not sure where I am going (to college) yet. I am looking at different places and seeing where I’m getting accepted. And then I’ll probably discuss it with my family before deciding fully,” Yang said.
She wants to go to a university that will allow her to challenge herself. She said that she likes to do stuff that will make her brain work, which could be in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) field.
“I’m debating whether or not to go into medicine. But for now, I’ll do STEM, maybe medicine. I was looking at biomedical engineering. I thought that was interesting. But I might just go into a classic physician path,” Yang explained.
Staying in Oklahoma and going to a state university is more appealing to Yang, therefore, she can stay close to her home. She has visited one college, OSU, but will be looking at all of her options.
“My family definitely motivates me. They work hard, and they are always supportive of what I decide to do. They’re not as strict as stereotypes go. But they are very caring and want the best for me. Just seeing them work so hard every day makes me want to do something for them. I also want to meet my own goals, and I want to learn more,” Yang continued.
Throughout her educational experience, she said that she has been challenged. The most challenging class she has taken so far is her AP English Language and Composition class.
“It was my first AP course, and it was difficult. I really enjoyed that though. It was a lot of writing, but it was fun. I loved the class. The teacher and my classmates are amazing,” Yang said.
She went on to say that all of her AP classes have been fun. Besides AP English, Yang is taking AP Psychology and AP Government. She has found them fun and likes them a lot.
“I like those classes because of all my classmates. They all have the same mindset, and the classes are smaller, too. There are more discussions and more interactions between us. It’s not overwhelming,” she added.
Yang said she feels like her education has prepared her for college. She has learned to write essays and read government articles. In psychology she has learned general note taking skills. She says she has learned how to learn.
Although Yang has not had to study a lot, she does because she thinks that studying makes her more confident in herself. When she puts in the study time, she is not as stressed during the tests.
Once in middle school, Yang made a B, or an 89. Even though it was one point from an A, she was very upset about it. She has not made a B since then. She used to get very nervous and anxious during tests, but she is calmer now.
“I understand that even if I get a lower grade that doesn’t define me. But, of course, higher grades do make my mother happy,” Yang laughed.
Her culture has played a part in her success. She said that from her perspective, Americans are individualists and follow their individual dreams, but Asian cultures are centered more around others.
“We want to achieve more, and it’s like a combination that we do for others and for ourselves. I feel like I do get a lot of motivation from working towards a goal. It’s not difficult to search for a goal. I definitely think having a supportive family makes a difference.” Yang said.
She also said that all of her teachers have influenced her. The teacher she has had the longest is Mrs. Holli Manning. Manning was her Gifted and Talented teacher in elementary and she is now her AP English teacher.
“I can’t name any other specific teacher that has influenced me because everyone has had such an impact on my goals and education. It feels wrong to say one of them was my most influential. Everyone had a contribution,” Yang said.
When looking to the future, Yang is anticipating how she will expand her horizons and experience different opportunities that come her way. She wants to find her passion, or what she loves and spend her life doing it.
Over the next few months, she will be waiting for university acceptance letters and visiting colleges. So far, she has only been on the OSU campus, but she wants to see the others. Yang will be looking for a college that has coursework that will fit her career path to either medicine or STEM.
Yang’s photo will be placed on the wall in the Elk City High School commons, along with other Elk City grads who have also received the title of Academic All State. She represents the school and community well.
