Ashley Chang is one of 10 top entering freshmen from across the state selected to receive the prestigious Forty Acres Scholarship, a new program from the Texas Exes Scholarship Foundation.
Ashley will graduate from Victoria East High School in June. She was accepted to The University of Texas at Austin for the fall. She is a National Merit Commended Scholar and an AP Scholar.
Throughout high school, Ashley was involved in a leadership capacity for several organizations, including Science Club, National Honor Society, Health Occupation Students of America, Student Council, Glee Club and several others. She has also received numerous awards and honors for her academic and extracurricular accomplishments. She received the 2010 Innovative Engineering Award, was named a Smith Woman of Distinction and took first or second place at many competitions over the years.
As a summer research assistant intern at the University of Houston-Victoria, Ashley learned several molecular biology research techniques, such as DNA cloning. Since January, she has worked at Victoria College as a reading and writing tutor to help students revise essays, provide homework assistance and teach reading and writing concepts. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language and Spanish.
Volunteering with various organizations has played a major role in Ashley’s life. She has been a part of various organizations to help people and animals in her community. Outside of school, she volunteered at community churches, the Texas Zoo, Citizen’s Medical Center, the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity and the Children’s Discovery Museum. She also served as a coordinator for a Save Darfur fundraiser.
About the Forty Acres Scholars Program
This will be the first year for the Forty Acres Scholars Program, which will be the largest four-year merit-based scholarship program and the first of its kind at The University of Texas at Austin. Forty Acres Scholars will receive a comprehensive financial package, covering tuition, fees, books and living expenses. The package also includes priority housing in honors residence halls and funding for summer programs such as study abroad, service learning and internships.
Nearly 800 applications were received this fall for 10 available scholarships. The students who were selected have demonstrated exceptional academic performance and leadership ability. The Forty Acres Scholars will have unique opportunities to build upon those skills throughout their time at the university.
Explore More
- Read more Forty Acres Scholars profiles.
- Learn about the inaugural class of Forty Acres Scholars.
- Visit the Texas Exes.
