“Physics Is Hard for Girls”? Cloris Decided to Find Out.

Cloris isn't someone who seeks the spotlight. For most of her time at Huitong, she was a quiet presence — a chorus member at the Lantern Ceremony and last year's graduation, someone who showed up, did the work, and genuinely enjoyed it.

This year, she leaves with offers from USC, UC Davis, UC San Diego, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Florida — all in physics.

Her reason for choosing physics is straightforward: everyone said it was hard, so she wanted to find out for herself. That curiosity started in Grade 8, when she first realised that physics wasn't abstract theory — it was everywhere. A push. A reaction. Things she had always taken for granted, suddenly explained.

From there, her path was consistent: Physics 1 and Pre-Calculus in Grade 10, AP Physics C Mechanics and Calculus BC in Grade 11, Linear Algebra and AP Physics C Electricity in Grade 12. Not a dramatic story — just steady, curious progress.

Outside the classroom, Cloris makes music, sings, draws, reads, rides horses, and makes perfume. She doesn't see any contradiction. 'Studying physics doesn't mean thick glasses and endless formulas,' she says. 'It also takes creativity and lateral thinking. My other interests broaden the way I see things.'

She's in no rush to narrow her focus. Literature, history, economics — she wants to keep exploring. 'I don't want to put myself in a box just yet.'

At graduation, Cloris stepped up as MC — the first time she'd stood at the centre of the stage. Not a dramatic transformation, just someone who, quietly and in her own time, made peace with being seen.

Congratulations, Cloris. The stage is yours.