Emilie Efendy finds wonder in the ordinary.
“I think my biggest motivation is just curiosity,” Efendy said. “I’m really interested in the fields that are still in their early stages. Seeing strides in a completely new field is really interesting to me, and that’s sort of what motivates me to do things.”
Efendy was named the salutatorian for the Class of 2025. In the future, she plans to double major in physics and computer science at Harvard University.
“[In college], I’m really excited about exploring a lot of new things and meeting a lot of new people,” Efendy said. “I’m definitely making a very conscious effort to keep everything as open for myself as possible. I think I’m just trying to give myself the freedom to really explore everything and anything that I find even remotely interesting.”
Whether writing a successful code or understanding the laws of physics that underlie the universe, Efendy finds it much more satisfying to pursue her intrinsic academic interests than study just for a grade. It’s this motivation to pursue knowledge that physics teacher Vijay Shah says makes Efendy stand out.
“One thing that really surprised me or impressed me about Emilie was her enthusiasm for learning,” Shah said. “She is always so willing to ask questions, to explain things to other people, and to try to help them get a better understanding of physics, while also not being afraid to ask for help herself. She’s shown a lot of true character or a lot of characteristics of a true scientist, and I think that that’s really going to serve her well in her future.”
Shah remembers Efendy as a sophomore asking him about the modern physics curriculum. She immediately made an impression as a “very hard-working student” – engaged in the curriculum and a deep thinker.
Photo courtesy of Emilie Efendy.
“She was really thinking about how the material could be better understood by somebody who doesn’t have as much experience with physics,” Shah said. “She was always motivated to learn about all the applications of physics as well, and although I sometimes have students ask those questions here and there, I feel like she was somebody who very consistently asked those questions to the point where it really impressed me.”
Efendy also took her passion for physics outside of the classroom by participating in physics events in Science Olympiad and creating a two-minute video for Breakthrough Junior Challenge.
“The idea of that competition was to break down a really complicated science topic and then explain it to people who typically don’t have a background in science and math,” Efendy said. “You basically are trying to explain it through animations and like simple metaphors to help people understand it in a very creative and intuitive way.”
Efendy calls it a “new side” of math and science that she previously hadn’t explored. She also enjoys tutoring computer science and cello, with a deeper mission of addressing disparities in education quality.
“She cares about making computer science education accessible for everyone, but especially girls,” computer science teacher Lubna Lorena said. “She’s our President for Girls in Computing. She’s outstanding in every aspect.”
Lorena describes Efendy as a person who can be relied on, “a hundred percent.” Lorena’s computer science independent study class had been trying to plan a trip to a technology company for years, with no success, and it was Efendy who finally made it happen.
“Last year, I have no idea how many [but] she sent emails, she contacted [companies],” Lorena said. “She finally made it come true. The whole independent study class went to Austin for the field trip. And we visited Indeed. It was really nice. That was the first time I realized how incredible she was.”
Along with seniors Margaret Zheng and Isabella Wu, Efendy coded an app called Forever Green in her junior year. Zheng describes Efendy as someone with “never-ending energy”.
“She keeps doing stuff [and] I don’t know how she’s not tired,” Zheng said. “She’s very passionate about what she likes, and she actually cares about learning. She’s genuinely interested in the subjects she’s learning, and I think that’s pretty cool, because it’s hard to come by.”
It’s not only in the classroom, though, where Efendy excels. To find wonder in the ordinary is also, to Efendy, finding joy in trying new things in life, from reformer Pilates to rock-climbing to pun battles.
“She’s super down-to-earth,” Zheng said. “Emilie’s always been funny, but if you get to know her, you’ll find that she’s super duper funny.”
While Efendy said she tries to really focus on learning when she’s at school, she dedicates her time after school to extracurriculars and time with family and friends.
“Some of my most cherished memories are probably just the small moments that I have with my friends,” Efendy said. “Ultimate Frisbee games in the football field, a lot of games of speed and Code Names after AP exams finish, studying at night with friends, which sometimes turns into us goofing off and pretending to be productive.”
Efendy also fondly remembers traveling to Boston, Chicago, and Michigan through Science Olympiad and as part of orchestra. Looking back, Efendy said she thinks everything turned out the way it should have.
“At the start of high school, I was really worried about making sure that I did everything in the right way,” Efendy said. “But I think over the years, I’ve realized that it’s pretty much impossible for everything to pan out in the way that I expect it to. So I’ve become a lot more comfortable with actually embracing a lot of the challenges and the setbacks that I have.”
Looking back, one thing that kept Efendy going was the unconditional love from her parents.
“They’ve always supported me, and they’ve never really been like tiger parents,” Efendy said. “They never told me to do this extracurricular or whatever, which I’ve been really grateful for. I think having that support has really allowed me to explore what I’m genuinely interested in and not just follow a path that I think I should be based on what everyone else is doing or what other people say I should be doing.”
Senior Katherine Liu thinks that Efendy’s focus, regardless of the obstacles that come her way, is something that sets Efendy apart, and in Liu’s words, makes Efendy “such a queen”.
“Her greatest trait is like she knows exactly what she wants and she knows she’s willing to do everything that she needs to get there,” Liu said. “She works super hard and is super goal-oriented and dedicated to what she’s doing. She never seems panicked about what’s going on. She knows she has a clear focus and clear goal.”
Daughter. Sister. Student. Leader. And even cello buddy to senior Sage Wang. In every role, Efendy’s dedication shines through – even for her quirkier side.
“When I found out that Emilie actually enjoys eating goldfish with milk, I was startled, flabbergasted, a little betrayed, but ultimately I came to accept it,” Wang said.
After graduating, Efendy may be remembered for bringing goldfish to an English II potluck next to plates of fried rice, dumplings, and bowls of instant ramen. But ultimately, Efendy left her mark in the various ways she pursued her singular goal of bettering herself.
“It’s okay to not have everything figured out,” Efendy said. “I think that a lot of us go into high school thinking that we should have a really laid out plan, a really defined plan, and know every next step. But sometimes, the best things that happen to you are the things that you probably would have never imagined happening to you.”
