Bonnie Zhang
Taking on the world with her bow
By Jane Lyons
Bonnie Zhang, a 16-year-old from Charlotte, North Carolina, is a girl of many talents.
The most intriguing is her passion for the violin because she admits, “I began in sixth grade, and I really was just not good.”
She believes her original ineptitude for the violin helped her grow and eventually succeed throughout the past six years by developing her determination and drive. She began playing with her best friend, who was a quick learner and instantly connected with the instrument.
“Sharing a passion with someone I really care about motivated me to push myself to become better so I could continue playing with him,” Bonnie said.
One of Bonnie’s proudest memories was when she and her best friend worked together to play the music for their high school’s production of “Shrek.”
Bonnie said that she feels that her high school has been instrumental in her success as a musician. From a young age, her music teachers inserted her into positions that she may have not been ready for in order to watch her commit herself to tackle the challenge.
Despite her music journey, she does not plan to pursue music in college. She said that it is a possibility for a minor, but her heart is in the Journalism school.
Music is not Bonnie’s only weapon in her arsenal of talents. She also is incredibly social media savvy and uses her writing talents to contribute to her school newspaper. Her impressive accolades include placing first for her piece on the Black Panther, the movie, and taking over media promotion for her school’s TedX event.
When asked her motivation for taking on this demanding role, Bonnie replied: “I really admired all of the older girls who ran the TedX event. So, when they graduated, I really wanted to follow their lead, help contribute to the development of the event, and simply get involved.”
Bonnie took on the role of communications and marketing and is now responsible for the Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook for her school’s TedX event.
On top of her dedication to violin and TedX, Bonnie still finds time to work at her parent’s restaurant, binge watch Netflix, and tutor elementary school children.