The Notorious Luanna Huang

    Walking the halls of Wilson or Eisenhower, you likely heard the name Luanna Huang at least once. Having been in school leadership since 7th grade, she’s also had the major roles of vice-president her freshman year, class president her sophomore and junior year, and finally, ASB president her senior year. She’s a big name that never goes unheard.
What are your biggest inspirations?

I value public service, and I like helping the community and making that impact.

Who is your role model?

Miss Briggs. She and I just relate in a way. I had her my sophomore year and this year. She’s impacted me in many ways, and she’s very down to earth.

What are your goals?

My short-term goals are to major in economics and minor in public policies; after that, my long-term goal is to study business law.

What made you choose those goals?

So, growing up, my parents owned a restaurant, and so I spent a lot of time working there. Obviously, we’re in Yakima, and Yakima is one of those communities where they're predominantly Hispanic. So growing up, my friends and I were never rich. I really wanted to help communities that were economically disadvantaged. I intern for the superintendent. So by writing policy, I realized that policy can change communities like Yakima, so I really want to bring that. I really want to use my economics degree or whatever I’m minoring in to bring back community and help places that are economically disadvantaged.

How did you come to the conclusion of Princeton?

My decision was between Stanford and Princeton. I think when I opened up my decision, the joy I felt was just surreal compared to Stanford. I really love Stanford as well. I think Stanford’s a great school, but I went on and visited Princeton, and it looked like Hogwarts. It was a smaller community, and it was very tightly knit because it’s in a small town. It kind of reminded me of Yakima; it's a smaller town. Princeton is only about 600 acres, and Stanford is like 8,000 acres, so that's a big difference. I thought I was ready for city life, but I think I need time to transition. Being at Princeton, which is a smaller area, will help me transition into a bigger place like Stanford, maybe later down the line. I really liked Princeton’s undergrad focus because they had such a small graduate school, all the resources and money go to the undergrad students, and they have a big endowment for research and undergrad studies, and like organizations that are for undergrad students. I think that is really going to help me when I’m picking internships, research opportunities, and resources.

You’re in a lot of clubs and activities, how do you choose what to put your time into?

I don’t believe in doing things I’m not passionate about. I don’t believe in doing things solely for college applications. The things I choose to do are because they align with what I am interested in. For example, speech and debate, I’m really into government and politics as well as student government and leadership. I’ve always been passionate about leadership and leading in politics and government. The reason I chose economics is because I'm interested in business and like serving others. So DECA, entrepreneurship, and stuff like that. I choose things based on what I like to do and what I am passionate about.

What are all the extracurriculars you’re in?

I’ve done leadership for seven years and held a position each year. I’ve done speech and debate for four years and entrepreneurship for four years. DECA, I co-founded that with a friend because I wanted to bring a business club to Eisenhower. I know a lot of kids out there are interested in business, but we didn't have anything that was really catered towards business competition. Entrepreneurship, I landed really weirdly. Mrs. Hinson was the teacher. I wanted to do DECA originally, but I guess I didn’t know the difference between entrepreneurship and DECA, so I ended up joining entrepreneurship. I really liked making the cards and shirts, so that's why I stayed. I’m also in the National Honor Society. It's a place to serve because we’re a part of community service. It keeps me focused on continuing to serve my community. Outside of school, I’ve interned for the district and was a part of the Yakima Youth Leadership Council. I’m also a part of the Yakima Schools Foundation. I co-founded the Junior Economic Club based in Seattle. I’ve also played piano every year for the nursing home for about 13 years now.

Outside of school, what do you do in your spare time?

I really like writing and free-writing poetry. I scroll on social media and TikTok. I also take walks in the park and go on the slide and stuff.

What advice would you give to the underclassmen?

Follow your dreams. It seems impossible, but you know, one day you do, and all of a sudden you’re like, “Oh my god, it was possible the whole time.”

How are you anticipating your upcoming graduation?

This year, I am giving two speeches, one for ASB president and one for valedictorian. I expect them to run smoothly. I am very excited to be graduating with the class of 2025.