Central student scores perfect 36 on ACT, tutors on popular YouTube channel

Earning a 36 on the ACT is a great achievement, but for Cape Girardeau Central senior Michael Hwang, it�s just part of the overall picture: a successful YouTube channel, studies at Southeast Missouri State University and a solid foundation in teaching are already in place.

Hwang came back to the United States with his family six years ago, he said, after they spent several years living in South Korea.

Hwang was born in Texas while his father was studying for his Ph.D. at Texas A&M University, he said.

He is the middle of three children, and his father, Seong Nam Hwang, is an assistant professor at Southeast. His mother �is Mom,� Hwang said, smiling � she provides support and works with him, he said.

Hwang said his parents have encouraged him in his studies, but also encourage him to slow down.

Cape Girardeau Central senior Michael Hwang poses with guidance counselor Nita DuBose on Tuesday in the Central library.TYLER GRAEF

When he took the ACT in April, Hwang said, �I was expecting a high score� � he�d taken practice exams, he�d taken prep classes and he�d studied.

And he did indeed receive a high score: a 36 on every section of the ACT, he said, and took the test only once.

Hwang said he thinks of his studies as a stepping stone rather than a stopping point.

�I read books, I study two hours a day,� Hwang said.

�I took the practice ACT, obviously,� Hwang said, and he would recommend people studying for the ACT order the official, ACT practice tests.

That way, test-takers can get a feel for how the ACT test writers phrase questions and what they want, he said.

�And go over the test results,� Hwang said, to find the reasons behind the wrong answer.

For him, the language barrier was a challenge, Hwang said � English is not his native language.

�It affected my reading speed,� he said, and many ACT questions require fast reading and retention.

But Hwang has an advantage: he also teaches.

Guidance counselor Nita DuBose said Hwang is a �master teacher,� that he has a gift for breaking down tough material so others can understand it at their own level.

Hwang said he considers teaching to be more a communication of the passion for learning than a passing along of material, and he tries to tailor his teaching to the audience � when tutoring one on one, he knows more about the student�s knowledge base and can work from there, he said, but when he�s giving a video to a YouTube audience, he doesn�t have that luxury.

�I have to take a different approach,� he said.

But, to borrow from an instructor with Khan Academy, Hwang said, �I teach the way I want to be taught. When I�m trying to comprehend a mathematical formula, I try to go between the lines to find the meaning, and explain it to myself.�

Hwang doesn�t credit his intellect with his success, though, he said. �There are a lot of people smarter than I am, but by not comparing myself to others, I�m not constrained that way.�

Hwang compares himself only with how well he did the day before, he said.

DuBose said when Hwang competed in a national-level mathematics contest, he got an idea of where he fit.

�And he knew he needed to step up his game,� she said.

Hwang does challenge himself. After he completed the highest-level mathematics courses available at Central, Hwang started studying at Southeast, and will work on a special project this fall with interim department chairman Daniel Daly, DuBose said.

Daly said he�s excited to work with Hwang beginning this fall. The project will start with some readings and problem-solving, he said, in a branch of mathematics with applications to computer science.

�The hope is that it will translate into an undergraduate research project,� Daly said, adding he hopes Hwang will have his name on a professional article by the end of the academic year.

Most students see mathematics of this level during their junior or senior year of university studies, if not graduate school, Daly added.

�I think he has a lot of potential,� Daly said. �It will be very exciting to work with him.�

mniederkorn@semissourian.com

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