Evelyn Wong ’21
Award: Marshall
Where: University College London
For Wong, applying for a Marshall Scholarship required a leap of faith in herself. So, it seemed fitting in a small way that during the few days between her final interview and receiving the award, she took another leap — into a pile of leaves — with one of the Quincy House tutor’s children.
The leaf-jumping was part of the self-reflection that included calling friends, family, and mentors who had been part of her journey. Wong, who is from Los Angeles, credited those community members — especially her resident tutor Anil Mundra — with helping her through difficult moments.
“As a first-generation, low-income student, I really struggled in my freshman and sophomore years,” said Wong, who will study neuroscience at University College London. “There are so many people who helped me get here. And at the end of the day, I want to pay that forward, especially to my younger counterparts back in East L.A. who might be doubting their ability to even have a chance.”
Wong wants to become a physician-scientist to improve health outcomes for refugees around the world.
“My entire life, I’ve lived in between cultures, languages, and especially classes. A lot of times, I feel like our voices are left out of this moving trajectory of scientific progress because the technologies that are meant to save the world are not accessible to people in my community, and to refugee communities around the world,” she said. “The stark difference in the worlds I’ve learned to navigate has given me an awareness of the extent of inequality that exists in the society that we live in. And it motivates me every single day to give back.”