Stephen Hung

Hung is Ayala’s class of 2024 valedictorian. Aside from being an amazing student, he is also an award winning robotics captain and an overall great friend.

Stephen Hung (12) is the kid your parents compare you to. On top of being incredibly handsome, he’s academically gifted AND hardworking. But how did such a perfect being come into existence? 

It all started when Hung woke up in middle school one day and decided he was going to be the best. There was no doubt in his mind that this goal was impossible. He believed fully since day one that he could and would become the very best any school has to offer. Thus, Stephen set out to become the academic weapon he is today. 

Saying Hung is an academic weapon would be an understatement. A more fitting description would be the academic hydrogen bomb. He has devoted the majority of the last four years to being the absolute gigachad of the school by maintaining his shared position of valedictorian. Despite what some may think, Hung has obtained this position by being proactive and diligent in his studies.

“Throughout my studies, I have been seeking out the most challenging coursework possible,” Hung said. “I try to balance out my course load with extracurriculars [that] helped me hone my time management skills.”

And master his time management skills he did. Hung didn’t just balance extracurriculars, he performed a whole trapeze act. On top of being valedictorian, Hung is the team captain for the Cybernetics VEX Robotics team, which has currently qualified for the VEX robotics state championship. His success in robotics is a testament to the amount of blood, sweat, and tears he has spent over the last four years improving his team.

“I spend about 12 hours a week on robotics. As captain, I need to take on a lot of responsibilities, but I think one of my key strengths as a leader is taking on roles and doing things that aren’t exactly in the spotlight,” said Hung.

Hung’s backstage work isn’t taken for granted by his teammates though.

“Stephen is a great leader in robotics. He does all the behind-the-scenes work which makes our team overall more efficient,” said Zhe Wang (12), a member of Hung’s robotics team.

And the key to all of Hung’s success? He doesn’t burn himself out. Contrary to what a lot of people believe, Hung is not actually a demi-god, but a human. And like all humans, he needs to take time for himself to relax and de-stress.

“Spending time with friends is one of my priorities, whether it be hanging out and chatting or playing video games together, it’s a great way to not feel burnt out after a busy week,” said Hung.

And his friends wouldn’t have it any other way.

“SHEEEEEESH Stephen is simply just awesome,” said Justin Choi (12).

With how successful Hung has been, some wish he’d write a whole book. For now, we’ll have to settle with this closing advice.

“Advice I have for students striving to be as successful as I am is to rely on as many external resources as possible to get ahead, whether it be the internet, outside tutoring, or even just asking teachers for help,” said Hung. “Just asking others for help helps you adopt a mindset for growth, develop strong independent learning skills, and learn time management instead of being content with complacency.”