Elizabeth
Wang

Elizabeth Wang is currently a sophomore at Princeton Day School and while she is also a dedicated student, she pursues golf outside of school. She has a deep interest in economics, philosophy, as well as contemporary issues, and she finds balance and discipline both on the course and in her academic pursuits. She is the founder of Civicentric, a youth-led organization aiming to help their generation overcome barriers to better participate in local, national, and international decision-making as a pathway towards sustainable economic and social development.

My Story

Her curiosity about the world around her drives her to stay informed and active in various intellectual and extracurricular activities. She has experienced countless moments that have driven her to learn and grow, both professionally and personally. Once, she saw the movie Sight with her parents, and it was an especially pivotal moment in her life as it introduced to her an aspect of first generational immigration she has never realized before. This experience has reminded her to stay opened-minded and accepting, and her interest in philosophy stems from this.

Over the years, Elizabeth remembers a few moments where she found inspiration to learn and experience, and grow professionally and personally. One time, she saw the movie Sight with her parents, and it introduced to her another aspect of first generational immigration. During summer break a few years ago, she was walking in the streets of China where she saw a man who was creating beautiful drawings. Although he was missing a leg, she could see that he was passionate about art and was able to make a living out of that. Another moment came during golf tournaments where she would give up towards the end if she was not doing well. However, over time, she was able to develop some sort of perseverance after those experiences.

Elizabeth is currently a sophomore attending Princeton Day School, and she is intrigued by the intersection and interconnection of issues such as authoritarianism and children's rights. Alarmed by the rise in authoritarianism in recent years, she realizes there is a need to address the issue, as subsequent consequences include an increase in corruption, which worsens the effects of future pandemics and continues to exacerbate food insecurity issues. Additionally, underprivileged and minority communities are indirectly but disproportionately affected by these issues; she strongly believes in a global initiative to take action, starting her journey with attending a UN Genera Assembly Pre-Summit at Columbia University event.

Looking ahead, she intends to continue her interdisciplinary approach to tackling the pressing global issues she is most passionate about, and to realise the change she wishes to see for her generation.