Academic All-Stars: Mentor helped Chen in robotics, life – Appleton Post Crescent

The 2017 Academic All-Stars share what they think of when they think of the future and have a little fun, too. Jen Zettel/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin (May 26, 2017) Wochit

Evans Chen, Appleton East High School(Photo: Courtesy of Evans Chen)

A robotics mentor helped influence the direction Appleton East senior Evans Chen would take in life.

Nick Luther helped the students on the East robotics team, but also taught Chen important life lessons.

Luther encouraged Chen to visit his teachers to get help when he missed classes for robotics competitions or Advanced Placement tests.

He also pushed Chen to keep looking for a solution until he solved a problem in robotics.

"Though he always knewthe solution to a problem in robotics, he taught me an incredible amount by letting me figure it out on my own," Chen said. "He is a wonderful person and definitely has greatly influenced me in my four years of high school."

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Other defining moments: Chen said he was most proud of the Appleton East math team's growth while he was in high school. When he first joined the team, there were only a few dedicated students, and he said it was hard to imagine them ever beating a team from Appleton North or Appleton West.

That started to change later in his high school career.

"More people started joining the math team, and by my senior year East was able to win its first math team event in a very long time," he said. "Going through my four-year journey, seeing East's math team rise has been extremely satisfying."

Learning highlights: 11 AP courses, 2 CAPP course, 4 courses from Lawrence University, 3.9 grade-point-average, 35 composite on the ACT exam, National Merit Scholarship finalist.

In school:Robotics team;varsity swimming;pit orchestra; student council; math team,captain, all-conference honors.

In the community: St. Elizabeth Hospital volunteer, Heart of the Valley YMCA lifeguard, Fox Valley Wave Swim Team, Wisconsin State Music Association Honors Orchestra.

Future plans: Chen will attend UW-Madison to study math and computer science.

Jen Zettel: 920-996-7268, or jzettel@postcrescent.com; on Twitter @jenzettel

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Academic All-Stars: Mentor helped Chen in robotics, life - Appleton Post Crescent