Success comes after hours, days, and years of hard work, some good and some bad. Its culmination can be gratifying, yet the fruits of labor can be, although deserved, surprising. When salutatorian Justin Wei heard his name proclaimed over the deafening roar of CHS students at the most recent renaissance rally, he went into a state of shock.

“I was awestruck and pretty confused, but happy,” Wei said. “Of course, being happy was secondary, as I had to get over my surprise first.”

Though perennially ranked in the upper echelon of his graduating class, he had not expected to be named salutatorian, as he believed his weighted GPA was not high enough; according to Wei, he was only ranked fifth in the class of 2019. Though deservedly impressive, to Wei that ranking was a far cry from the second-ranked student, to whom he expected the accolade to go. Fortunately, his rank was forgotten in favor of his impressive unweighted GPA, extracurriculars, and other factors.

In the coming years, Wei will leave his heralded legacy at CHS behind to travel across the country and attend Johns Hopkins University where he plans to study biology, taking the pre-med track.

“It’s 2300 miles away, which is actually very far from home, and I wanted to get a very authentic and independent college experience,” Wei said. “They’re also very good for pre-med.”

Wei believes the rigors of the Johns Hopkins pre-med track will prepare him well for a future in the medical industry. Regarding his future career, Wei is undecided but still open to many possibilities, including working as an optometrist, plastic surgeon, or pediatrician. With that in mind, his end goal is to work toward opening his own clinic.

Leaving his prosperous ambitions aside, Wei has undoubtedly made his past aspirations a reality. From his status as a member of varsity swim to his faithful attendance to CSF, racking up over 550 hours of volunteer service, Wei left a lasting impact on CHS and the community. In his first two years at CHS, he cherished the powerful bond he built with his swim teammates and grew to love the sport. However, while dedication was unquestionably one of his tenets for success, he eventually found himself faltering his senior year.

“Senioritis hit me hard, and I didn’t feel the same bond in my final year,” Wei said. “My advice would be to be dedicated to whatever you do.”

Despite his very serious accomplishments, Wei will always embrace the happiness he found in his most lighthearted moments at CHS. From his humbling moments with Mr. Dingwall, to finally successfully flipping a fried egg without a spatula, to filming a parody music video to “All the Single Ladies” at Target wearing booty shorts, Wei found that he could learn from even his most comedic memories. He will always value the jovial moments with friends, guiding relationships with teachers, and learning points with his mother. In particular, Wei expects to put to use the extensive information on politics he learned from his friends like Ryan Taron and Milton Hwang, and the mentorship he received from Dr. Arboleda.

As the old adage goes, success never sleeps. While Wei could be contented with the acclaim he has already found, he plans to continue his championing habits this summer before arriving (and beginning the true “grind”) at Johns Hopkins. On the list of Wei’s summer plans is a well-deserved vacation with his family and a renewal of his lifeguard permit in order to work in college.

“I hope to keep my As, and learn how to do laundry,” Wei said.

While he knows everything about diffusion, osmosis, and the types of macromolecules, but cannot yet proficiently operate a clothes washer, CHS is “Justin” time to witness a phenomenal senior depart from its campus and pursue yet another ambitious future. He is sure to make his “Wei” to success.