#SoCaltech: Allison Wang
"Academically, I had no clear idea of where my personal limits were when I started. I think Caltech has done a really good job of pushing me past where I thought my capability was to see how far I can actually grow in math, which has been really exciting. On the leadership side, I served as chair of the Board of Control, the undergraduate body that deals with academic Honor Code violations, from April 2019 through April of this year. I started getting involved toward the end of my freshman year because the Honor Code is very important to me. I think it's one of the things that makes Caltech special, and I felt that it was worth dedicating time to. It's definitely a tough job, time consuming, and also sometimes personally challenging, but I think it's worth it for the community. The Honor Code is very simple, just one sentence—"No member of the Caltech community shall take unfair advantage of any other member of the Caltech community"—but it has really large implications because people believe in it and follow it and carry it out. The example of the practical application of the Honor Code academically that people always give is that we have the privilege of doing take-home exams instead of having to wake up at 7 a.m. to go take an exam in a lecture hall for three hours. But on the personal side, the fact that we have this code of ethics also means that you can trust other people and feel safe and comfortable in the houses. And I think that's made it a very pleasant environment to work in and collaborate in."
When Allison Wang (BS '20) graduates from Caltech on June 12, she will also be honored with the two top leadership prizes awarded each year to seniors: The Frederic W. Hinrichs, Jr., Memorial Award for leadership contributions to the student body, and the George W. Housner Prize for Academic Excellence and Original Research. This fall, Wang will begin a one-year master's program at the University of Cambridge before starting her doctoral program at Carnegie Mellon in 2021.
#SoCaltech is an occasional series celebrating the diverse individuals who give Caltech its spirit of excellence, ambition, and ingenuity. Know someone we should profile? Send nominations to magazine@caltech.edu.