Alumni Check-in: Ray Cheung (Class of 2024)

Q. Where do you live now? Why? What are you doing?

A: I live in Worcester, Massachusetts. I go to College Of the Holy Cross. I live here for college. I am also studying chemistry on a pre-dental route. 

Q. What are the biggest differences between there and Kaohsiung? What’s the biggest similarities? 

A: The transportation in Worcester is very limited. I need to Uber everywhere. It snows here.

There is pretty much nothing similar here. There are shootings sometimes, so it's a little dangerous. You can get racial remarks thrown at you.

Q. What does a typical day look like for you?

A: This semester, my schedule is really early 8 am on MWF and 9:30 on TTH. I usually go to class and then eat after for my 8ams.

But on TTH I eat before going to class because I have more time. I have two jobs on campus and I work about 10 hours a week.

I usually end my days either with work or lab. After I usually get dinner and do homework or just chill.

Q. What's one thing you miss most about being a high school student?

A: Having less responsibility in high school compared to actually needing to get a job after college. Being in Taiwan with my family and friends.

Q. What's the biggest lesson you’ve learned in the "real world" that you wish you knew while you were in high school?

A: Being in KAS helped with my social interaction. A lot of people I meet after saying I'm from Taiwan say, “oh your english is so good” and I think that just speaking English growing up helped with that. Maybe also helped with maturing.

Q. What advice would you give to your high school self?

A: Take chemistry cause it will help with your major.

Q. Did your KAS experience prepare you for life after graduation?

A: Not really. Maybe just being more mature and learning how to meet new people. I learnt that the IB diploma is not useful.

Maybe it helped me get into college, but it is so much harder to get college credits that I can use.

The AP program can get you easy credits, which is so much more beneficial because you potentially take fewer classes. 

Q. What are you looking forward to most in the next five years?

A: Hopefully, I am able to get into a dental school and become a dentist. That would be the ideal situation.

Q. Anything else?

A: I think location does kind of matter. Choose somewhere a little more popular. I find it boring sometimes and wish I were in Boston.