By Khalida Sarwari
When Saratoga High School student Jennifer Si-Yi Chen traded in the red scarf she wore in communist China for jeans here in Silicon Valley, she also got an education in nonconformity. Most importantly, the move opened her eyes to the importance of freedom of speech and all the different forms it can take.
The 17-year-old shared her story on Feb. 1 at a scholarship ceremony hosted by the Los Gatos chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Born in New Jersey, Jennifer lived in the cities of Beijing and Shenzhen from the age of 2 to 11 when her father’s engineering job prompted her family to move to China. There, she said she’d recite Mao Zedong’s quotes every morning, wear a red scarf at all times–even during PE classes–and be placed in time-outs by teachers if she received below 80 percent on an exam.
“I grew up in a world bounded by restrictions, but since I didn’t know any other way, this all seemed very normal,” Jennifer told the audience, reading from an essay that earned her first place in DAR’s Good Citizens Award and a chance to compete at the national level.
She went on to relate that upon her family’s move to California, she quickly learned that what seemed normal in China was anything but in the U.S.
Here, she found that instead of constant note-taking, memorization and taking tests, her classmates would “blurt out questions in class, negotiate with teachers and engage in intense Socratic Seminar debates.”
“My peers were rowdy, weird and extraordinarily … free,” she said, eliciting laughter from the packed room at the Los Gatos Lodge.
Jennifer’s essay was written in response to the prompt, “Of our American rights and freedoms, which one would you choose to celebrate and why?” By winning, she garnered a $200 scholarship prize that she will be using toward her expenses at the University of Pennsylvania this fall.
Saratoga High School principal Paul Robinson, who accompanied Jennifer to the ceremony along with her mother, Jane Luo, said he was honored to have been invited by her.
“She’s just fantastic,” Robinson said. “I have known her since freshman year. What a tremendous background she has.”
Continued Robinson, “[Jennifer] has taken the ideals of freedom of speech and really put it out there.”
Branham High School student Jonas Ciplickas was named the second place winner, while Presentation High School’s Elizabeth Reinhardt and Prospect High School student Helen Kassa received honorable mention.
Created in 1934, the DAR Good Citizens award and scholarship contest recognizes and rewards high school seniors who possess the qualities of dependability, service, leadership and patriotism.
Four students from Challenger School were also awarded at the ceremony. The group includes Alec Corliss, fifth grade; Danya Balagopal, sixth grade; Pauline Le, seventh grade; and Srinivas Balagopal, eighth grade. They each received $75 for their essays titled, “A Colonial Family’s Reaction to the Stamp Act.”
Finally, Harker School freshman Jerry Peng won $75 for his essay titled, “Columbus and Lindbergh: A Journey Across the Atlantic.” It was Jerry’s second time winning a DAR award.
“Every year, and this year again, I’m totally impressed with this group of citizens,” said Rachel Goss, who chairs the Los Gatos chapter. “They’re leaders as club organizers, athletes and in filmmaking. One thing they have in common is they have passion and ability and they’re going to make this world a better place.”
