VIVIAN CHAU OF ROWLAND HIGH SCHOOL ACCEPTED TO
U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY
ROWLAND HEIGHTS, CA – MARCH 14, 2012 – Rowland High School Senior and Tennis Athlete Vivian Chau has received an appointment to the prestigious U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. She was recognized last night by the Rowland Unified School District Board of Education for her accomplishment.
“I have always wanted to give back to my country. I am thankful for all that I have. My Dad is from Vietnam and he also wanted to give back so he became an LAPD officer,” said Chau. “I believe this is such a great opportunity to help me develop as a leader and it will open up so many doors.”
Chau will play on the Varsity Tennis team while at the Academy. Chau came late to tennis, learning to play when she was 13. She quickly starting playing on the national circuit and during her Sophomore year, was named “Tennis Player of the Year” by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.
To be accepted to the Naval Academy, Chau had to pass extensive academic and physical exams and receive a nomination from a local elected official, which came from Congressman Gary Miller’s Office. Currently she is the Vice President of the Chinese Club at Rowland High School (she speaks Mandarin and Cantonese.) She plans to Minor in Chinese at the Academy and hopes to continue in the U.S. Naval Academy’s graduate program. “I would love to become a service worker officer on a destroyer or cruiser,” said Chau. She lives in Rowland Heights with her mom who is a school teacher at Shelyn Elementary, her father, an officer for the Los Angeles Police Department, and younger brother who also attends Rowland High School.
About the U.S. Naval Academy: As the undergraduate college of the Naval service, the Naval Academy prepares young men and women to become professional officers in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. Naval Academy students are midshipmen on active duty in the U.S. Navy. They attend the academy for four years, graduating with bachelor of science degrees and reserve commissions as Ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps. Naval Academy graduates serve at least five years as Navy or Marine Corps officers. www.usna.edu
Rowland High School is a National Blue Ribbon School, a World International Baccalaureate School and was named in 2011 as one of “America’s Top High Schools” by Newsweek Magazine. It is located at 2000 S. Otterbein Avenue in Rowland Heights. For more information visit www.rowlandhs.org.
The Rowland Unified School District is proud to serve 16,000 students at 20 elementary and secondary schools in the communities of Rowland Heights, Walnut, La Puente, City of Industry, and West Covina. More than 5,000 adults (16+) are also served by the Rowland Adult and Community Education School. For more information about Rowland Unified, call (626) 965-2541 or visit www.RowlandSchools.org.