Chris Xu of West Windsor took the first place award for biology in the 55th annual Merck State Science Day Competition. The Merck Scholars, 20 New Jersey high school students, were honored in a ceremony and luncheon at Merck Research Laboratories in Rahway. Xu, a rising senior at High School North, attended the reception with his mother, Keqiao Zhang; his father, Jianping Xu; and his advisor, James Looney. ##M:[more]##
Xu, 17, is involved with science, volunteering, and music. Until an injury earlier this year, he was also involved in sports.
He was born in China and came to the United States when he was two years-old. His family settled in Piscataway and lived there for three years until a job change for his father took them to Boston. Five years ago they moved to Plainsboro and two years ago to West Windsor. With all of the moving about, Xu had to transfer to High School North after completing his freshman year at High School South.
His mother, who was a medical doctor in China, works in the medical research department at University of Pennsylvania. His father, who has his Ph.D. in geography, works with computers for a company called Jersey Cow in Northern New Jersey. His sister Lucy, is a rising eighth grade student at Community Middle School.
He played volleyball with High School North, Plainsboro Chinese School, Huaxia Plainsboro Chinese School, and Pirates’ Summer camp until an injury this past year resulted in a hiatus. He was also on the cross country team. Involved with
martial arts, he practices Ngo Cho Kun, a rare Kung Fu style, and studies with Sifu Bonifacio Lim. A youth trainer, he has performed at Plainsboro Founders’ day, Six Flags Martial Arts Channel, and at Plainsboro Center.
Volunteer activities include Red Cross Club, peer leadership, and student council. With the Twin “W” First Aid Squad, he works one 14-hour shift per week, has logged in more than 600 hours of volunteer time, and is certified as an emergency medical technician B level, CPR, hazardous materials awareness, and weapons of mass destruction awareness. Xu is the delegate for the first aid squad at Central Jersey First Aid Council.
“EMS experience really pulled me into thinking more about a future in biology and maybe medicine,” Xu says. “Although music will be in my future it will be as a hobby.”
An accomplished musician, he studies trombone with Brad Ward. At North he plays the trombone in Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra, where he is first chair, Jazz Band, brass and trombone quartets, and was in the pit prchestra for “Annie,” the musical. He is in the Greater Princeton Trombonists Chapter, and New Jersey regional and state bands. Xu is also in the pit orchestra for musicals and holiday services at Princeton Alliance Church. He helps provide music to Applegarth Nursing Home with his brass quartet, and provides music lessons for HomeFront participants. He is also a member of the American Legion Jersey Boys’ State Band,
Xu is the literary magazine editor at the house school, on the yearbook staff, and is involved in poety and creative writing. He is a certified tutor for the National Honors Society.
He will begin looking at colleges in August. “Odds are high that I will go into biology,” he says.
More than 2,”000 students from more than 125 high schools in New Jersey competed in the competition taking tests in biology, chemistry, physics, or integrated science. Merck Institute for Science Education and the New Jersey Science Teachers Association gave awards to the four highest scoring students in each test. Xu was honored for the results on his biology test.
“Dr. James Looney is a very hard worker and never fails to add pizzazz to every class,” says Xu. “He helped me win this award.” Looney, who teaches AP and freshman biology at High School North, is also the science club advisor.
