Basic Introduction -
What is your full name?
Angela Mei Teng Unayan (鄧安淇)What grade are you in this school year?
Junior (11th Grade)What is your favorite subject in school and why?
PLTW BioMed and AP Chemistry are my two favourite subjects in school. I found out my love for the medical field after surviving Osteosarcoma so I cherish every opportunity I get to learn about the field I want to go into in the future. I have always enjoyed learning about Chemistry as the experiments are very interesting and the concepts are very intruiging for me.What extracurricular activities or hobbies are you involved in outside of school?
I'm an American Cancer Society Youth Ambassador (ACS-YA) as a youth leader. This means that I help plan and organise the major events ACS-YA does each year, manage the other Youth Ambassadors on the day of the events, and coordinate with invited speakers. I have been with ACS-YA for 3 years now and it was for the past 2 where I stepped into a leadership role. In addition to being a cancer awareness advocate, I am also involved in a organization called Chinese Culture Youth Ambassadors (CCYA). Ethnically, I am half Chinese and half Filipina, as such, I joined CCYA to help promote awareness about traditional Chinese culture in a society that is slowly losing knowledge on the roots of where many cultures began. I serve as the Vice-President and Secretary for CCYA and this is my 2nd year in this position. Before that I was a member for 2 years.
My main hobby outside of school is singing. I love doing karaoke with family and friends or just singing while doing my work to help pass time. In addition to that, I love being able to perform for people even if I get a little nervous sometimes. I come off as very extraverted but that doesn't mean that I don't have stage fright. Somedays when I have to perform for a big crowd, I feel my adrenaline spiking but in the end I push myself to do it as I know that I'll regret not chasing after the opportunities I am gifted. Another hobby or activity I engage in often is public speaking. As an Osteosarcoma, I sometimes get invited to places to advocate about my journey and experience being a pediatric cancer survivor. I have spoken at various events such as Hyundai Hope On Wheels x UCLA (2023, 2024, 2025), Make-A-Wish Annual Gala (2024), ACS-YA Youth Conference/Annual Symposiums (2023, 2024), KTLA Wish Wednesdays (2025), and BeKind and Co WomanKind Interview (2025).What are some of your strengths as a student?
My biggest strength as a student is my ability to learn quickly and lead in group projects.
When it comes to learning new content, I think that my inquisitive nature allowed me to have read a lot of books relating to a vast pool of topics when I was younger. This helps me now as I may not know everything about a topic, but often times I know enough to help me understand the context of things.
Some of the biggest things I notice in my peers are the reluctance to take initiative on how to delegate tasks in group projects. I personally believe that this stems from the lack of experience most people have at my age and also perhaps the fear of having to take responsibility for any failures the team may experience. I don't really have issues with this as I know that failure is just part of the process and the only way to succeed as a team is to move forward and improve on what I observe I did wrong.What areas do you think you can improve on academically?
I am still working on reviewing tactics. My main method of studying is via recall which means that I pay attention in class and take good notes, that way it allows for me to not spend too much time reviewing at home. However, as I challenge myself with harder topics, I notice that there is slowly a need for me to spend more time reviewing at home. Now, I am learning how to properly study for the first time rather than relying on active recall.Describe your favorite book or movie.
My favourite book series of all time is the Percy Jackson series. I've always been a big fan of mythological fiction but Rick Riordan's writing is very fun to read. He makes you feel like you're there in the moment and makes his characters very relatable. In addition, there's just enough humor to keep you entertained during the darker scenes.Who is someone you look up to and why?
Someone I look up to is my mom. She didn't have an easy life growing up but her journey after making it out of poverty is no less commendable. My dad suffered through several severe episodes of strokes when I was 6. From there, my mom had to figure out how to raise me all on her own. This meant juggling time to visit my dad while also making sure that I was taken care of. Her job didn't make it any easier either, she was a flight attendant in the past so that meant long periods of time where she wouldn't be able to look after me. Eventually life fell into a new rhythm, even if it was shaky at first.
Soon several years passed and it was time to move back to the States. What should have been a clean new beginning turned out to be so much more complicated than expected. At first it was getting to used to the pace at which the US moves it, much slower and less efficient than before. But then, it was the copious amount of paperwork it takes to appeal a decision because there are so many legal loopholes. As if that wasn't bad enough, the summer leading into my freshman year of high school? I was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma.
I can't pretend to know my mom's exacts thoughts in the moment but if I were in her position, I would have had flashbacks to what happened with my dad. I really struggled at times during treatment but I think that my mom struggled even more. She had to first come to terms that I somehow had this terrible illness, but then also watch as I slowly got sicker and sicker as time passed. It was really a low point for us both as she accompanied me for all of my trips, took me to all of my hospital visits, and rushed me to the ER whenever something unexpected occured. Yet, she made it through the other side. Not only that, but she remained someone I looked up throughout as her persistent efforts to be there for me helped me get through my lowest times.
Her resilience inspires me to keep moving forward because if she can do it, then so can I.What do you hope to accomplish or achieve by the end of this school year?
I hope to create a fully functioning blog with a number of posts about my journey as a cancer survivor, my life now as a student, and my goals and hopes for the future. I just started the blog at the start of the school year so it'll be exciting to see where this leads to. I would also like to start covering some of my favourite songs on my socials as I truly believe in the power of music therapy. This would probably also be linked to my blog.What is something you're passionate about or interested in learning more about?
Something I'm passionate about and interested in learning more about is oncology. More specifically, pediatric oncology. Ever since I was treated, I realised that there was a lack of development in the field despite cancer being a sickness that is as old as time. Undergoing all the side effects and seeing others go through the same when they were my age or even younger? It made me realise how important this pressing issue is to me and jumpstarted my journey in becoming a Physician Scientist.What is your favourite thing to do in your free time?
Singing will always be my number one thing to do in my free time. Other than that, this year I want to spend that free time covering songs and working on muy blog. In addition, I would like to be able to go out with friends to just hang out and experience what it's like to be the average teen.What do you think sets you apart from your peers?
I think my maturity sets me apart from my peers. I don't want to make the claim that I am never childish as I do have my childlike moments. However, I think that my life experiences made me realise a lot of things before many of my peers. As such, I feel like I connect and conversate quite well with people well beyond my age. It allows me to form meaningful connections and opens doors of opportunity in places that I had never thought to look before. It also leaves deep impressions on my mentors which helps with them taking me seriously when I say that I want to achieve something.Describe a time when you faced a challenge and how you overcame it.
I talked a lot about my struggles with Osteosarcoma already so I will talk about a different challenge I faced and how I overcame it. When I first moved back to the States, I had a massive culture shock. Growing up in Hong Kong instilled a deep sense of respect for authority, basic manners, and social etiquette in me. Moving here I was shocked to see no one bowing to their teachers before class starts, having to walk to different classrooms to attend my classes, and the level of casualness there is between the teachers and students. It was rather odd for me and at first I didn't want to accept that this was truly how students behaved in the States. Eventually I realised that it doesn't matter whether I think it's weird or not, what matters is adjusting to the social norms so that I would fit in. I compromised with myself that certain habits would need to be broken but the way that I approach a teacher or ask them for advice would never change. This way I could maintain some values that I held dear to my heart but also fit in with the rest of the student body. The more that I lived here, the more I was able to adjust to life here in the States.What are your goals for the future, both in school and beyond?
My short term goals for the future is to get into a good college so that I can set myself up for success. My long term goals is to become a physician scientist in the field of paediatric haematology oncology. I want to be able to come up with less invasive but more effective treatment options for paediatric cancers. In addition, I hope to leave a positive imprint on the world as I wish I could give back to the community that saved my life.Is there anything else you'd like to share about yourself?
I have never had a pet other than a goldfish. I really want both a cat and a dog. If ever I had the opportunity to adopt one I would totally want to do so.Who is your best friend and what do you enjoy doing together?
I don't really have a best friend here in the States, or at least I don't know if they would consider me as their best friend. But if I were to name a few off the top of my head, my best friends here in the States are Amanda Xu, Claire Chen, and Emily Yuan. My best friend of all time is a friend from Hong Kong. He now resides in the UK and we occasionally text each other when our schedules permit it. His name is Lance Lau. Back in Hong Kong, we lived in the same apartment building on different floors. We have known each other since kindergarten and stayed pretty close friends throughout elementary even when we went to different schools. My favourite thing to do with him was to go over to his place and play the vast amounts of boardgames he had while doing karaoke on the side.Describe a memorable moment you've shared with your friends.
I don't really hang out with my friends here in the states. Back in Hong Kong, by the time I reached 6th Grade, most of my friends and I would take the MTR to and from school. It was always a blast going home with my friends as the MTR stations are typically conjoined with shopping malls so we would pick up a small treat for ourselves and chat about our day together on the way home. It made the academic pressure feel a little less pressing.How do you typically handle conflicts or disagreements with others?
I try my best to stay calm and communicate clearly during conflicts or disagreements with others. Other times, if it isn't something that is really important, I just yield and let them have their opinion while I have mine. However, if the issue at hand is something very serious, I always look at myself first to acknowledge any wrongdoing on my part before I judge someone else.What qualities do you value most in a friend?
Honesty and loyalty are the two qualities I value most in a friend. I need to have someone I know I can trust and will tell me when I'm not doing so well in order to better myself.Are you involved in any clubs or organizations at school, and if so, which ones?
What do you enjoy most about spending time with your classmates?
How do you contribute positively to your school community?
What kind of activities do you enjoy doing with your family?
Describe a time when you helped someone else, either a friend, family member, or classmate.
How do you think your friends would describe you in three words?