Having already completed Calculus AB in 4th grade, sophomore Joshua Jang is well ahead of the typical 10th grade curriculum.
Jang began looking into higher level AMC math competitions in the 2nd and 3rd grade. These initial competitions sparked his interest in math topics such as algebra, number theory, and geometry. Switching from the standard school curriculum to a competition-based focus provided a fresh start for his academic journey.
“This new area of math was one where I found a lot of passion and began pursuing competitively,” said Jang.
Jang completed Calculus AB, Calculus BC, and Multivariable Calculus at Cypress College in elementary school, furthering his success at higher level math competitions. After placing first at ARML (American Regions Mathematics League), Berkeley Math Tournament, and other AMC (American Mathematics Competitions) tournaments, Jang continues to follow his passion and participate in math events.
“I would say my biggest academic accomplishment so far is at USAMO (United States of America Mathematical Olympiad). I’ve qualified for four consecutive years, starting from the sixth grade,” said Jang.
The USAMO is a prestigious national association that selects the top 250 students all across the country based on their AMC exam scores. Qualification is rare and considered one of the most distinguished accomplishments for high school students. As for Jang, qualifying was a breeze following his perfect score on the AMC 10 exam in 2021.
Jang isn’t just a math prodigy — he is also proactive in many other extracurriculars, serving as an executive board member for seven clubs at Oxford including Korean Culture Awareness, Environmental Conservation Organization, and Computational Modeling to name a few. He is in his first year as a yearbook staffer and in his second year of playing boys varsity tennis at Oxford. Outside of school, Jang serves as the high school math director of the Orange County Math Circle and captain of the Southern California ARML team.
“I have a lot of extracurriculars, but I think in terms of time management, it works out — it’s manageable.”
Jang is a bright scholar with many academic accomplishments — but he isn’t stopping there. With the support of his parents, friends, and teachers, he expects to achieve much more in the near future.
“Next semester, I’ll probably be taking a graduate level course for statistics. In the long term, I hope to pursue a career in the computer science or finance field.”
