“Empathetic, compassionate, and an abstract thinker” is how 17-year-old Wendy Wang describes herself.

Wendy is the type of person who thinks “outside the box” by finding different ways to tackle problems in our world today. Currently attending Central High School of Philadelphia, she’s a member of the women’s committee. One of its activities is to collect donations for the women’s shelter.

“The fight for female rights are never done,” Wendy said.

Wendy was born in New York, but spent some of her childhood in China, returning to South Philadelphia at age 5. She struggled growing up as a Chinese American but is now embracing her identity.

Wendy’s career aspirations aren’t set yet, but her biggest interest is to gain as much knowledge about the world as possible. By learning to understand the human mind and how it works, Wendy hopes to help people who struggle in communicating with others. She could see herself becoming a translator, a journalist, or a psychologist.

Wendy draws inspiration from the people that surround her, such as her closest friends, family, and loved ones. She enjoys relaxing, listening to some Frank Ocean while eating fruit, and working at her job as a cashier at Butcher Burner in Chinatown.

With her “abstract thinking,” Wendy is an innovator, who believes she can and will make a difference in this world.