Justin Xu has been enthused with numbers and formulas since he was in elementary school and now he wants to use his expertise, partnered with a newfound love for science, to help others.
The Center Grove High School salutatorian will attend Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and plans to major in biochemistry with a goal of going into pharmacy. He chose the Ivy League school because it ranks in the top 10 schools in the country for biochemistry, he said.
“From a young age, I’ve always been a number person,” Xu said. “I’m really analytical. Math is something I’ve always enjoyed. Chemistry, I didn’t know I’d enjoy it, but it combined science and math. I wanted to develop medicine to help people. Doing biochem leads in to that career.”
While math has been a lifelong passion, Xu’s interest in science started in high school. He credits his biology and chemistry teachers with inspiring him to be interested in the subjects, and also the subjects’ use of formulas, which relate to math, as something that kept his attention, he said.
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Xu’s interest in math led him to start a Center Grove chapter of the Math National Honors Society, which allows students to go to math competitions and hear from guest speakers. Xu went to competitions at Franklin College during his junior and senior year, and also competed at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis this year.
His activities aren’t limited to academics, however. He has played the clarinet since sixth grade and played in the marching band, concert band and pep band during his time at Center Grove High School. Through pep band, he’s played at the Trojans’ basketball games.
“Marching band is my favorite because of the commitment involved. We work so hard throughout the summer and see the results in the fall, playing at Lucas Oil Stadium,” Xu said.
“Bands of America is the Grand National Championships; there are 100 schools from around the country. Just going in there’s a lot of energy and excitement from everyone. When you’re on that field it seems surreal, performing in front of thousands of people. Showing what we’ve been working on the past few years is a magical experience.”
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Name: Justin Xu
Age: 18
Parents: Sheng Xu and Lihong Huang
Residence: Greenwood
College plans: Majoring in biochemistry at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
Career goals: Going into pharmacy
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