Federal Way Public Schools Alumni of Note
Cindy Kang
Harvard University Sociology & Economics Student
Decatur High School Graduate
Class of 2008
Cindy Kang is fulfilling the dreams her family had for her when they immigrated to Federal Way from Korea in 2001. She worked hard in school and graduated from Decatur High School in 2008 with a full scholarship to Harvard University.
Now at Harvard studying sociology and economics, Kang looks fondly back at her time in Federal Way. She attended Panther Lake Elementary, Federal Way Public Academy, Illahee Middle School and Decatur High School. She participated in a number of extracurricular activities including Key Club, student government, tennis, drill team and wind ensemble. She was also on the math team and participated in Odyssey of the Mind. "Although I enjoyed my classroom experience, extracurricular activities are what made my high school experience both memorable and fun," Kang said.
Kang also found that volunteering as a math tutor enriched her high school experience. "I helped struggling seventh grade students prepare for the WASL math test," she said. "Although math has been my favorite subject for awhile, I found teaching math to be a challenging task. However, I gained personal satisfaction as students improved in math and their anxiety for the test lessened."
Kang recalls that Mr. Meessen was among her most influential teachers. "I had him for two full years and he always made sure that he was available when students sought his help," she said. "He was certainly one of the teachers who not only made his class enjoyable, but also gained much respect from the student body. While maintaining fun he enforced his strict system in the classroom."
In the future, Kang plans to pursue a career in business. She currently serves on the Harvard College Consulting Group, a student run nonprofit that gives business advice to companies, nonprofits and student clubs.
"More than anything, Federal Way schools helped me become a well-rounded person," Kang said. "I greatly enjoyed a wide array of extracurricular activities that Decatur offered. Ranging from community service to sports, I tried to be part of as many as I could and they really made my high school years memorable."