Kenny S. Huang

Kenny S. Huang is a dynamic and curious individual who believes that global issues require the combination of logic, innovation and empathy to be resolved. For him, the intricate universe of mathematics can be likened to a sprawling tree, and within this tree is where he seeks to initiate and elevate his impact. 

 

Growing up, Kenny has always lived by the following quote:  “Everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you and you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use.” The world is currently facing a polycrisis moment, and we need scientific and technological innovation to break out of this situation. Kenny believes that the cascading and connected crises we find ourselves in at the beginning of 2023 leading into 2024 demands a new descriptor to define the scale of the problems the world is facing. With energy and food prices soaring, the resulting inflationary pressures ignited a global cost-of-living crisis which has led to social unrest. On top of all that, carbon emissions continued to rise as economies roared back from the pandemic era. Rather than judging how others have done, the best way for youth like himself is to be assertive and take action. 

 

To gain real world experience, Kenny has been active across various ecosystems. Within school, he is a member of the Student Council, where he has been able to work with both students and school administration staff to organize events and change original policies that were flawed. To enrich his academic foundation, he has taken up an encompassing strategy to self-study for math. With the advent of online education, anything can be learned by oneself these days. The information is out there, so if one wants to learn something enough then one will be able to get it as long as one makes time for it. For his hard work, he became the fIrst student in high school history to qualify for the USA Math Olympiad (approximately Top 250 in the US) and has achieved Honor Roll of Distinction (Top 1%) for the AMC12.

 

In addition, he has an appreciation for the world of arts. For Kenny, there is not a universal camera capturing all the events in the world. He personally enjoys photography, because it allows him to capture everyday life and record the memories with his loved ones and reminisce on in the future. He placed in the national Top 50 for AAPT Physics Photography Contest, was nominated in the professional photographer division in the 2022 Fine Arts Photography Awards and received Gold Award in H.C. Andersen Art Awards.

 

Looking ahead, he wants to contribute to the field of mathematics in academia by offering his unique ideas and meeting people who share his passion for mathematics. Navigating this complex world, discovering its hidden nooks, crannies, and connections, brings him immense joy. Mathematics, in all its vastness, reminds us that even the most advanced theories trace back to basic principles. Embracing this side of his mind is not just about numbers and equations, but about relishing the thrill of discovery and holistic understanding. He fundamentally believes that the pursuit of logic is key to unlocking the human psyche to collective action in tackling the most pressing issues in our current polycrisis world.