Top honors a family tradition for Central pair

With a 107 grade point average, Christine Lim has earned valedictorian honors at Central High School for the class of 2010. Following a point behind is Victor Chang, this year’s salutatorian.

Lim said being valedictorian was a goal for her. “I’ve always worked hard since I was young,” she said, adding that her sister was salutatorian of her class in 2005, “So I wanted to beat her.”

Actually, Lim said, her sister served as a role model by working so hard in school. Lim said her sister was quite proud of her accomplishment in graduating as this year’s valedictorian.

Chang matched one of his brothers, who graduated as salutatorian of Central in 2008. His other brother ranked fifth in his class a few years before that. “There’s always been higher expectations for me and my family,” he said.

In the fall, Lim will head off to Philadelphia to attend the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She said she was strongly considering Dartmouth College but when she was unexpectedly accepted into Wharton, she decided to go there. The school is very prestigious, she said, and no one from Valley Stream has been accepted there in quite some time.

“When something really unexpected happens,” she said, “I think you’re just meant to go there.”

Lim said that she wants to major in business and Wharton has a strong program. She doesn’t know what her concentration will be, but said she does not want to do investment banking or finance.

Chang will attend Brown University. He was choosing between there and John Hopkins University. Either way, he would be attending school with one of his older brothers. He did a pre-college program at Hopkins but a three-day college hill program at Brown sold him.

Brown offers students the chance to design their own curriculum and major with professor supervision. It also provides him the opportunity to take courses outside of his major just for fun, without affecting his grade point average. “I definitely hope to take advantage of something like while at Brown,” he said.

Chang, who describes himself as a “math and science guy,” said possible majors for him are chemistry or chemical engineering, “But we’ll see how things go when I get there.”

Lim took 11 Advanced Placement courses in high school and was selected to the National, Language, Math and Business honor societies. She played on the junior varsity volleyball team and also has participated with Future Business Leaders of America, Mathletes and peer mediation.

She has traveled to Mexico with a mission team from her church to revitalize a small village. Lim has also volunteered at Lynbrook Senior Care, and as a camp counselor for mentally disabled children.

Lim has won numerous awards at FBLA competitions and was an AP Scholar with Distinction. She is also a licensed scuba diver and can play the flute and drums.

Chang has taken 10 Advanced Placement courses at Central and been named to the National, Math, Science, Tri-M and Language honor societies. He played on the tennis team, participated with Mathletes, the Quiz Bowl team and peer mediation.

He has tutored others in English, math, science and social studies, and for the SATs. Chang is a National Merit Scholar and won an American Chemical Society award.

Chang attributes his success to good genes and supportive parents who have given him many opportunities. He is looking forward to the independence of college but will be glad to have an older brother nearby at the start. “I’ll see him around,” Chang said, “and when I need money I’ll definitely go to him.”

Lim said she will miss the support system that high school offers, but is ready to go out on her own and be in control of her life. “There’s such a routine in high school,” she said. “It’s so nice just to be catapulted into the real world.”