News

(Fall 2018) –Jonathan Wang, a SMART alumnus, recently moved to his new home in Seattle, WA, where he’ll begin the next chapter of his life. A first-generation college graduate, last spring Jonathan completed his degree in Computer Science at the University of Southern California. Following his summer internship with Amazon last year, Jonathan will be returning to the company as he begins an exciting position as a software development engineer, working with the team that makes the company’s engine run.

It’s been more than four years since Jonathan was regularly at SMART as a high school senior, exploring college options. However, he hasn’t been a stranger to the SMART family while away at school. This past summer, Jonathan returned as a volunteer for our Summer Academic Enrichment Program’s annual STEM Day, assisting our Scholars with the engineering and execution of science experiments. Jonathan says, “I know SMART has been growing, so I wanted to give back a little to a program that changed the course of my academic career.”

The Wang family’s journey echoes that of many SMART Scholars. Living in San Francisco as a low-income family, they faced numerous challenges and difficult decisions. With SMART’s assistance, Jonathan attended Town School for Boys and continued on to University High School. Making the transitions into these new, rigorous environments wasn’t always seamless, according to Jonathan. “Being placed in these challenging environments, we’re forced to work on two seemingly incompatible qualities: self-acceptance and the tenacity for self-betterment. I’ve learned to not be ashamed of my background…The tenacity to bounce back from failure during this pursuit is what makes SMART alumni so strong.”

Jonathan’s unwavering determination and drive carried him through his time at USC. He mentions that during his time there, he not only explored his academic potential, but also his own personal development and growth, akin to his dynamic growth at SMART. He says, “I believe being able to accept, but not internalize failures, is what prepares you for success and happiness. This is the balance that I’ve been working so hard to achieve in college, and in retrospect, I genuinely believe that my experience with SMART prepared me well – not just for college, but for the world to come.”