PINE GROVE — Some would find Xinhe Zhu’s balancing act remarkable, knowing how quickly she assimilated into the American culture from China and established herself as a proven student leader.
The Pine Grove Area High School senior’s drive hasn’t gone unnoticed. Xinhe, or Julia, as she’s known, has been recognized with a prestigious appointment into the U.S. Naval Academy. She also just became a U.S. citizen.
Julia arrived in the U.S. from Guangzhou, China, on July 4, 2012, when her mother married her stepfather. She entered high school that fall as a freshman.
“I was the only Asian kid. I was the only ESL (English as a Second Language) student. There were a lot of friendly people, but for the first half of the year, they weren’t able to understand me. I joined cross country and formed a strong bond. We sweat and bled together. Some of my closest friends are my cross country teammates,” she said.
Julia continued studying hard, and eventually gained more confidence, working as a cashier at Hershey Chocolate World, and at a Chinese buffet as a hostess. Last year, she got a lifeguard position at the Pine Grove Community Pool, while broadening her connections and making new friendships.
“A lot of people are losing faith in the American Dream,” she said. “It is the land of opportunity. You can move up the social ladder and achieve. As an immigrant, I truly believe in that,” Julia, 17, a daughter of Emily He and Laurence Addicott, Pine Grove, said.
“You work hard and you play hard, but you have to find a balance,” she said.
Her teachers and advisors at Pine Grove said Julia is a well-rounded student, who demonstrates her excellence in academics, physical fitness and leadership opportunities. The last time someone from Pine Grove had been accepted into a military academy was in the 1990s, according to retired Maj. Will Shiffer, senior Army instructor with Pine Grove’s JROTC program.
There are several categories in which a person can be nominated for consideration into the academy, including Congressional, Presidential, Secretary of the Navy, ROTC and JROTC and by children of deceased or disabled veterans.
Julia was nominated by Shiffer on behalf of the JROTC, and guidance counselor John Gradwell provided assistance.
“She is a highly disciplined student who always puts a maximum effort into everything she does and achieves outstanding results,” Shiffer wrote. “She is dependable and has demonstrated a great deal of initiative in contributing to her school and community. Xinhe is a conscientious student leader who sets a fine example for others to emulate. I am confident she will be highly successful as a Naval Academy cadet and continue to be a leader among peers,” Shiffer said.
He said Xinhe was number one in their battalion of 100 JROTC cadets and currently serves as cadet battalion commander.
Julia said she was surprised when she heard the news she would be attending the academy this summer, since she almost didn’t complete the lengthy application process.
“My dad, he believed in me and he set me up for the summer seminar. Major Shiffer gave me a lot of support. At first I thought there’s no way I’m getting in. Mr. Gradwell, he was talking to me for two hours. I got so pumped and said I have to finish the process.”
“My parents have so much faith in me and tell me every single day,” she said.
Julia considered several academic options. She visited Wilkes University and was offered a full scholarship. Penn State University also accepted her.
“I wanted to go to school and have a free ride,” she said.
She realized going to the Naval Academy would mean attending a well-known, prestigious institution, but would include sacrificing some aspects associated with normal college life. She knew there would be less free time and less time to socialize.
“I wanted that financial freedom. It’s a choice I had to make. You know you’re serving your country,” she said.
Julia’s in distinguished company. A candidate needs a nomination first in order to get an appointment in the academy. Typically, 4,000 candidates receive nominations each year, but only 1,500 appointments are given out, according to the academy’s informational website. Appointments are invitations to attend the Naval Academy.
After completing four years at the academy, graduates receive bachelor of science degrees and commissions as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. In return for their education, Naval Academy graduates serve at least five years in the Navy or Marine Corps.
Initially, Julia admitted, she joined Pine Grove’s JROTC program because of the “field trips.” Recent JROTC excursions included visiting the Denver Air Field in Colorado, and Washington, D.C., she said.
Julia said she has a firm foundation in the science, technology, engineering and mathematical skills. She’s also trilingual, speaking English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
“My academics are a priority. I think Major Shiffer saw in me that I’m still trying and I’m still challenging myself. Studying is my job. I have friends that are smart, but some of them don’t try,” Julia said.
The academic rigors are something Julia was accustomed to in her native China.
“In China, you take tests to get selected into which (private) middle school and high school you would go to,” she said.
Her parents said at the end of her sixth-grade year in China, she ranked 32nd out of a student pool of 7,000. Children attend private boarding schools, where they reside five to six days per week. They wake up about 6 a.m., do exercises and chores at 7 or 7:30 a.m., attend breakfast, then begin classes at 8 a.m., Julia said. After several classes, they eat lunch and then nap. There’s afternoon classes, and time to go back to their dorms to freshen up and eat supper, before attending night-time mandatory study sessions from 7:30 to 9:30 or 10 p.m. There’s also homework on the weekends.
“I think family is more important than your school, or government. I know everyone in my family has a solid educational background. I know I have to do well in school. My family says you have to try hard,” Julia said.
She said her mother is a supportive person, and not one of those “Tiger Moms” who is too strict and demand perfection.
Her mother said, in her experience, school demands are too strict on the students in China, but there may be too much freedom here.
“In America, students have too much spare time to do what they want,” she said.
She’s proud of her daughter’s efforts.
“She (Julia) would often wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning to study. She knows what she needs to do,” she said.
Julia’s father also encouraged her to pursue what was of interest to her. Her father is a Marine Corps veteran and works in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, 28th Financial Management, Lebanon. Her mother has an international business degree and worked as a human resource director and vice-general manager of a business in south China, before moving to the U.S.
Addicott said his daughter completed a huge amount of paperwork online, and the family drove Julia across the state to interview Naval Academy alumni as part of the process.
“She has strong skills that an institution like the Navy can appreciate and make good use of. She’s the whole picture,” he said.
Julia said her mother encouraged her to put what she enjoys doing as her hobby, and then find a degree that’s useful and practical.
Some of the activities Julia joined at Pine Grove include JROTC drill team, color guard, rifle team and staff team; National Honor Society; cross country, 9th to 12th grade; track and field, 9th to 12th grade; Advanced Placement Environmental Science and Recycling Club; AP English Literature Club; and Quiz Bowl. She had formerly served on the International Club. She tried cheerleading and Ski Club, but found they weren’t for her.
She’s a Red Cross certified lifeguard and works during the summer at the Pine Grove community swimming pool. She has attended the JROTC Junior Cadet Leadership Challenge Camp, a Winter Survival Camp, a Water Adventure Leadership Camp, the Lions Club Youth Leadership Seminar and the National Sojourners Spirit of America Youth Leadership Conference. Julia’s also participated in many community service events including a coat drive for children, a lake and park cleanup, and performed ceremonial events for Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
She’s planning on taking a trip back to China to catch up with family and friends before she starts her “Plebe Summer” at the academy at the end of June.
“I’m extremely flattered I got accepted,” she said.