RESUME
I O N A J I A N G
EDUCATION
St.Johns School, IB Diploma Program
Graduation Year: 2026
SKILLS
English (fluent) | Mandarin (fluent) | Public speaking | Critical thinking | Graphic, concept, illustration, and fashion design
AWARDS AND CERTIFICATIONS
-
Finalist award as well as a top 8th speaker award at Stanford invitational debate (February 2024)
-
2nd place debate team at UBC and breaking as the top seed, finishing as semifinalists
-
Georgetown Fall Invitationals junior varsity octofinalist and top 11th speaker
-
TOC Digital Series #1 Double-Octofinalist and top 2nd speaker
-
Georgetown Spring Invitationals Finalist and top 5th speaker (April 2024)
-
Quarterfinalist at Harvard's 43rd Annual International Public Forum Invitationals (February 2024)
-
NSDA Degree of Distinction (Credited to ~7% of NSDA debaters)
-
Scholastic Writing Awards: Silver Key & Honourable Mention (Both in “Personal Essay & Memoir” Category)
-
Scholastic Art Awards: Silver Key & Honourable Mention (Digital Art Category & Editorial Cartoon Category)
-
Honourable Mention Award at March 2024 Canadian International Model UN (CAIMUN)
-
Artwork selected to be used on St. John’s greeting cards
-
Level 8 RCM flute practical exam with first class honours
-
Level 5 LCM oral examination gold medal
-
Level 8 RCM Speech and Drama exam with first class honours
-
Level 8 LCM Speech and Drama exam with first class honours
-
Level 8 TCL Speech and Drama exam with first class honours
SCHOOL INVOLVEMENTS
Whole School Liaison of Student Council (2024-Present)
-
Elected as one of twelve students in organizing school-based initiatives; Coordinates communication with all school faculty from the junior to senior school for all event planning logistics
​
Layout Lead of Newspaper Club (2019-Present)
-
Published 9 articles in the Eagle Update (school newspaper) on topics such as letters of encouragement to graduating classes, students' experiences in recent events, and the importance of collaboration in sports
-
Organises all content into a standardised layout prior to publishing
​
Executive Leader of Model United Nations Club (2024-Present )
-
Attended Vancouver Model United Nations and winning an Honourable Mention Award at Canadian International Model United Nations in general assemblies; designing lesson plans to prospective club members; editing researched position papers​
​
Member of Volleyball Team (2017-2023)
-
Played once a month against other schools within the ISABC, and participated in the ISABC play-off tournaments​
​
Member of Leadership Club (2019)
-
MCed for every assembly announcement and talent shows
-
Organised and helped participants prepare for performances through planning and evaluating rehearsals​
​
​
​
​
Leader of Debate and Public Speaking Club (2021-Present)
-
Creates debate lesson plans, register club members for external tournaments (first time in 5 years of our school debate club), crafting debate motions, judging and providing feedback to each club member on a weekly basis.​
​
Flute Player in Honours Band (2018-Present)
-
Performed for 10+ concerts and several more ceremonies​
​
Member of Business Club (2019-2023)
-
Raised over $500 for local charities through the sale of remade products, including stationery and fidget toys
​
Member of School Yearbook Club (2022-2023)
-
​Designed 20+ spreads using Adobe Indesign, accurately matching the year's respective yearbook theme
​
Actor in School Play (2021)
-
Spent two weeks rehearsing after school every day
-
Casted as the main character in an original play (called The Spread) with approximately 20 pieces of dialogue throughout 8 scenes
​
EXTRACURRICULAR INVOLVEMENTS
Visual Art Student at Foresight Academy (2011-Present)
-
Designed the workbook cover for another class's use
-
Designed YouTube channel art for a new channel
-
Participated in a two-week summer camp taught by a teacher from RISD, creating a documented process of two final illustrations
-
Created a piece of artwork talking about the dangers of social anxiety, and advocated through installing it in school hallways and art showcases
-
Donated a short, original graphic novel to BC Children's Hospital
Flute Player (2016-Present)
-
Consistent player for 7 years
-
Performed in band concerts, and in solo in front of parents
​​
Member of Shad Canada
-
Joined a group of 60 high school students at Carleton University and worked with a team of 10 to innovate a sustainability design entrepreneurship project; demonstrated leadership in painting a tunnel mural, planning social events, and camping activities.
​
Speech and Drama Student at Bolton Academy of Spoken Arts, Opus Academy, Bard on the Beach, Arts Umbrella Youth Intensives (2016-2023)​
-
Invited to perform at Carnegie Hall in New York
-
First place level 5 LCM oral examination among all participants
-
Collaboratively performed 3 traditional Shakespeare Plays, which were Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet, and As You Like It with 10-12 other teenage actors​
​
Debate Student at Vancouver Debate Academy (2022-Present)
-
Participant in several tournaments experiencing with British Parliamentary, Canadian national Debate Format, and Public Forum
-
Qualified for Tournament of Champions
​
Assistant Director for NATO at Vancouver Model United Nations (2024-2025)
-
TBD
​
Assistant Director for IMF at Canadian International Model United Nations (2024-2025)
-
TBD
​
Student at Summer@Brown Pre-College (2023)
-
Attended a 2 week long course called Writing from the Heart: Empathy, Care, & Ethnography
-
Read and analysed 9 high-level texts written by anthropologists
-
Produced two pieces of writing with the consideration of anthropological writing techniques
Participant in Teens Write Across America (2023)
-
Attended 5 hour-and-a-half sessions across the span of 5 weeks to collaboratively write and discuss across a virtual exploration of America.
-
Produced 5+ short writings from spontaneously given prompts
​
Self Publisher on Amazon KDP
-
Published and sold 130+ copies of a 72 page book on East Asian Design Motifs, with educational background studies on each motif as well as 25 original, self drawn colouring sheets in relation to East Asian designs.
​
​
VOLUNTEER AND WORK EXPERIENCE
Debate Judge at Vancouver Debate Academy (2023-Present)
-
Judged debate tournaments for younger/inexperienced debaters
-
Helped organise the draw for each round
-
Helped provide individual feedback and suggestions to 30+ participants
-
Received NSDA Service Points
​
Debate Teaching Assistant at Vancouver Debate Academy (2024-Present)
-
Teacher assistant for weekly 2-hour classes at VDA, assisting debate coach with lesson overviews, debater feedbacks, and writing over 30 student progress checks on individual performances
​
Volunteer Staff at UBC x The Idea Society Debate Tournament (2024)
-
​Ran an elementary UBC debate tournament alongside a dedicated tea, of 8 volunteers, taking 150+ photos for media, welcoming every participant into the tournament, judging and providing individual feedback to 16 debaters​
​
Entertainer at AMICA Retirement Home (2018-2022)
-
Performed a series of flute and drama pieces
-
Consistent annual participant
-
Served seniors with food and organised their seating arrangement
Beach Cleanups at Kitsilano Beach (2018-2021)
-
Helped to remove approximately 500 pieces of trash during each 6-hour session around Kitsilano Beach
​
Volunteer for Art Advocacy at Yarrow Intergenerational Society of Justice (2023)​
-
Collaboratively discussed the historical and existing racism against Black and Chinese communities within Chinatown
-
Produced a cyanotype print with shared photographs that produce an image representing the desired legacy of Black and Chinese communities in the nearby future.
-
Awarded $150 as an honorarium
Director at Youth Art for Action
-
Outreach manager and host of biweekly painting sessions at AMICA senior home; manager of all volunteers; innovating and teaching art themes and techniques for each session
​
Marketing Director at Pacific Northwest Debate Society (2023-Present)
-
Manages a team of 8 Marketing Staff, delegating tasks and logging volunteer hours
-
Creates introductory PowerPoint presentation for new debaters, generated bake sale fundraiser ideas for tournaments, and crafted marketing advertisements on social media platforms to promote PNDS updates, news, and tournaments.​
​​
Summer Camp Volunteer at the Vancouver Botanical Garden Association
-
Coordinated a week long summer camp for children 5-7 year olds, guiding them on various outdoor summer activities like pond peering, craft making, and hikes
​
Reading Volunteer at Teens Read it First (2023)
-
Produced a thoughtful review on Cloak of Scarlet by Melanie Dickerson: Discussing my ratings, reasons for rating, and overall recommendation​​​​
​​
Junior Co-Curricular Volunteer at St.Johns School (2024)
-
Helped organise and set up board game activities for students from grades 4 weekly
​
Reading Buddies program at Vancouver Public Library (2024)
-
Participated in weekly 1-hour sessions with assigned buddies, helping them strengthen reading skills with short novels, comics, and mini entertainment activities.