Annie Jiang’s Chinese name is Tongyu, which means “authentic language without embellishment.” It’s little wonder, then, that Jiang would grow up to pursue journalism. But her parents didn’t anticipate that the name they chose for their daughter would so accurately match her future passion.
“I think they wanted me to speak with curiosity like a child and [not] make language complicated,” Jiang said.
When she was born, her parents also named her Annie, her preferred name. Annie grew up in Shanghai, moving to Arcadia, California when she was 12. Although Mandarin was her first language, she adjusted to speaking English fluently, becoming bilingual.
True to her name, Jiang is authentic both on and off the page, from writing columns in her high school paper, the Arcadia Quill, to divulging unpopular opinions like pineapple on pizza and favoring junior over senior year of high school.
For Jiang, moving from China to America as a pre-teen, the social change was harder than the language barrier.
She felt excluded at Arcadia High School until she discovered journalism. Jiang joined the elective during her freshman year and published her first article, “New Teacher Feature: Ms. Galvan,” as a sophomore.
“When I saw my first byline, I felt like I could actually contribute to something. I felt like I was part of the school community,” Jiang said.
She progressed from a staff writer to news editor and eventually became editor-in-chief of the Arcadia Quill her senior year.
“I got to know people I was once afraid to approach and ask them a lot of questions. It opened the door to a world that I wasn’t living in,” she said.
Outside the newsroom, Jiang watches C-dramas, hits the gym, and hangs out with friends. She also enjoys DIY crafts like crocheting bags, keychains, and bookmarks.
However, she spends most of her time immersed in writing and the news. She journals every day and consistently consumes media. Jiang watches historical documentaries and 60 Minutes interviews, along with reading non-fiction like Stephen King’s “On Writing” memoir and keeping up with journalist Isabel Wilkerson.
Jiang even hones her craft during summer break. Currently, she is a paid intern with L.A. Times High School Insider. She has published with HS Insider since 2023 and served on the 2024-2025 Student Advisory Board.
During past summers, she studied at the Harvard Secondary School Journalism Program and received a scholarship to attend the School of the New York Times, where she wrote about the asylum process in the United States.
Minsong Ha, an incoming freshman at Stanford University, met Jiang last August at JCamp, a national student journalism program hosted by the Asian American Journalists Association.
“She was mixing her own background and interest with what she wanted to do in her career,” Ha said, remembering Jiang’s passion for covering immigration.
Jiang wrote two profiles while at JCamp, one on a local artist and another on an employee of a women-owned clothing store. Both of Jiang’s JCamp pieces highlighted the role of women in the art and business communities.
“Annie is the type of person who’s quiet but strong. You never know what’s going on inside their head, but they suddenly pop out with this great idea,” Ha said. “Everyone at JCamp could tell that she was taking journalism really seriously.”
Attending JCamp gave her more confidence “saying out loud” that she wanted to pursue journalism, Jiang said.
“It was one of the first times that I’ve felt really seen as a journalist,” Jiang added. “I felt like my story was respected.”
Jiang will attend Northwestern University next year. She plans to major in journalism and join the student newspaper, the Daily Northwestern.
“I’m still trying to navigate my identity. I want to report from the minority perspective,” Jiang said.
