Kierra Huihui

MAYVILLE — Kierra Huihui, Chautauqua Lake Central School Class of 2007, recently visited the high school chemistry classes to speak to current students. Huihui, whose goal was “giving back to CLCS,” holds a master’s degree in chemistry and is slated to complete her doctorate in organometallic chemistry this spring at the University of Rochester. She described the many paths and experiences that led her to this point in her studies and impressed on students, “The more you learn, the more you realize what you don’t know!”  Her presentation, “A Road Less Taken,” covered many aspects that students should consider as they decide what to do in life. She encouraged them to find a place, whether college or work, where they can thrive.

She began by sharing how Chautauqua Lake inspired her and reminded her audience to stick with their core values and to work hard. She also stressed the importance of family, internships, and balancing academics, the arts and sports, and how all of these influence and enrich life.

The Class of 2007 chose a quote by Norman Vaughan to represent their aspirations: “Dream big and dare to fail.” Huihui found that this was a great message to convey, and she reminded the students to seize every opportunity that comes their way.

“We were honored to have Kierra speak to our science students and are so proud of all she has accomplished,” affirmed teacher Mary Jantzi. “She is interested in the synthesis of medicine for the pharmaceutical industry upon the completion of her PhD program.”

Huihui is one of several alumni and other guest speakers slated to address students at Chautauqua Lake this school year. Each academic department arranges a presentation that focuses on the value of education, the importance of possessing a strong work ethic, and making appropriate life choices, all of which are a secondary school priority. This aligns with a district-wide goal focusing on real-world applications: for all students to be self-motivated to seek the relevance and future application of learning in order to adapt to an ever-changing world.