Giving
Opportunities & Outcomes
Founders Scholar Zhiqiao "Kate" Jiang
Zhiqiao “Kate” Jiang, Derryfield’s 2017 Founders Scholar, is currently in her second semester at the University of Pennsylvania. She is majoring in chemical and biomolecular engineering and considering pursuing a dual degree through the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research program (VIPER) in chemistry and chemical engineering.
Outside of the classroom, Kate is involved in the Society of Women Engineers and a literary translation magazine called DoubleSpeak with annual publication in both paper and digital form. She also honors her three-year experience with the Derryfield cross country team by trying to keep up the weekly runs with Penn Running Club.
When asked whether she felt prepared going into Penn, Kate said that two parts of her Derryfield education stood out, “for one, the seminar-style humanities classes challenged me to practice presenting my ideas and interacting with my classmates. This is a skill that I feel is harder for some engineering students to obtain. And thanks to the smaller class sizes in Derryfield, I had the opportunity to practice these. Second, the less competitive and inclusive atmosphere in Derryfield helped me to keep a mindful attitude when facing the academic stress in college. In the end, GPA is just an arbitrary set of values that should not be the single evaluation of your academic performance.”
Despite studying in the United States for three years now, Kate still feels the same sense of being away from home that most college students feel even though she has come to feel more at home in the States compared to her first few days in Manchester. But unlike most domestic students, Kate says, “I not only miss my family back in China but also my friends and host family back in Manchester.”
The Derryfield School
Located in Manchester, NH, The Derryfield School is a private day school for grades 6-12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, fine and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.