Page 20 - Tennessee Teen Volunteer Judge's Book 2022

Name: Annie Zhao
Title: Miss Bluff City Teen Volunteer
Instagram Handle:@anniezhao_
Age: 17
Platform Title: Discovering Your Path
Talent: Violin performance of “Sweet Caroline”
Education: I am a senior at White Station High School, and I plan to attend the University of Virginia this fall!
Education & Professional Objective:
I aspire to become an OB-GYN because I consider it an absolute honor and privilege to hold a mother’s baby for the first time in her life and care not only for the mother but also follow along her child’s journey to adulthood. The lifelong patient-doctor relationship attracts me to the OB-GYN specialty, and I hope to travel to impoverished areas around the world to impact the lives of women and children.
Honors & Achievements:
Responsibility and Empowerment:
I was Miss Tennessee Teen USA 2021 and competed at Miss Teen USA! I experienced one of the most valuable journeys in my life travelling across states, advocating for racial justice, and portraying the beauty of diversity while serving Tennessee. Walking in New York Fashion Week was extremely exciting, and I was blessed to have played the national anthem on my violin for the Grizzlies.
Volunteerism:
I achieved the Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Award twice, servicing over 500 hours towards my community. My voluntaristic spirit is met through speaking to hundreds against racial injustice, interviewing over 50 professionals for their insight on life, donating clothing to homeless shelters, creating uplifting cards for people in need (essential workers, hospitalized children, and nursing home residents), providing education to elementary school children, helping to fundraise $2035 towards local libraries, and more. I feel joy that I contributed my love to the people around me!
Education:
I am in the National Honors Society as well as the Science National Honors Society. Since middle school, I have competed on the Science Olympiad team at the regional, state, and national level. Through the University of Tennessee AP Scholars program, I performed bacterial transformation and gene editing using CRISPR-CAS9. Individually, I conducted environmental health research with the University of Memphis with our abstract accepted into an international electronic conference! My interests further into competing in Model United Nations as well as attending summer music programs.
Leadership Positions: I am President of the White Station Journalists Association, Vice President of the Science National Honors Society, Vice President of the Alliance of Youth Leaders in the United States (Greater Memphis branch), Concertmaster of my school orchestra, teacher’s assistant for AP Chemistry & AP Psychology, and a former Miss Tennessee Teen USA.