The Next Big Thing: Mackenzie Zhu

For Shanghai American School senior Mackenzie Zhu, curiosity has always been at the center of her journey. From discovering a love for the humanities to founding the Pudong debate team, she has spent her time at SAS exploring ideas, building new opportunities, and learning to see the world from multiple perspectives. This fall, she will begin her next chapter at Yale University, where she plans to study political science and English while continuing to pursue her interests in public policy, research, and the human experience. 

What are you planning to study at Yale?

At Yale, I plan to study political science and English, which is a less common path right now. What piqued my interest in humanities is a love for reading. To me, it’s the study of the human experience. It helps you understand people from different places, different time periods, and different perspectives.

I gradually realized through discovering my academic passions at SAS that it’s not just reading or English that helps you empathize with the world, but also political science and history, understanding how power structures influence the way people live and how the past shapes the present. I’m really interested in how these subjects intersect and connect with one another. 

You also had the opportunity to intern with Yale. What did you learn from that experience?

I interned with the Yale School of Public Health on a health data platform. It showed me how large datasets can translate into real-world impact and help people better understand their health and the world around them. 

The platform was designed to centralize information like virus trends and vaccine data, things people don’t usually go out of their way to look up. Having that information in one place that’s easy to access makes it more meaningful and encourages people to care more about their health and the health of those around them. That experience helped me better understand how research and data can connect to public policy and real-world outcomes. 

What are you most excited about as you head to Yale?

I’m most excited about Yale because I’ll have the continued freedom to explore my academic interests. Yale operates under a liberal arts curriculum with very few core requirements, so I’ll be able to take classes across the humanities and discover new areas I might be interested in.

I’m especially excited to explore subjects like philosophy, art, and history, and to take part in programs like Directed Studies, where students read classical works in literature, philosophy, and political thought. I think that kind of experience will help me explore the field more deeply.

You founded the Pudong debate team. What has that experience been like?

Before starting the SAS Pudong debate team, I was debating independently and on Team China, but I realized I didn’t know many debaters at SAS. I found there was a lot of interest in public speaking, so I started the debate team to give students a chance to try it out.

Two years after the debate team’s founding, we’ve garnered a lot of interest from beginners to advanced speakers. We provide resources and coaching for debaters of all levels. I wanted there to be more opportunities for students to explore debate and public speaking.

Outside of debate, you’re also involved in service work. Can you tell us about that?

I’m part of Blue Oasis. We teach kids water safety skills and run social media campaigns about why this issue matters. We looked into data showing that children from rural or underserved areas are significantly more likely to drown, which made me want to understand why. As someone interested in policy and public health, that really stood out to me. Through the club, we partner with organizations to teach kids how to stay safe in the water and how to ask for help, while also raising awareness about the issue. 

Congratulations, Mackenzie! Best of luck next year!