STAR Student takes pride in helping others

Though Jimmy Meixiong isn't boastful about his academic talents, one teacher says he's one of the best students she's ever taught.

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Instead of bragging, Jimmy knows that for some students good grades are hard to come by, and he offers to help whenever a fellow classmate asks.

"During lunch, people ask me for help on their math homework," said Jimmy, a Lakeside High senior and the school's STAR Student. "I spend probably half of my lunch helping other students."

An admitted fast learner Jimmy rarely spends time cramming for tests. He's naturally talented in academics, so learning material for tests is as easy as a quick review just before test time.

"Since I teach gifted and AP students, I have many very bright students," said Charlotte Smith, Jimmy's choice for STAR Teacher. "However, Jimmy is definitely one of those at the very top that I have taught in my long teaching career. He has a genius mind in that he catches on very quickly and understands subject matter beyond the grasp of the normal high-school student."

A National Honor Society member, Jimmy also enjoys athletics.

"Most people would be surprised to know that most of my time outside of school isn't spent studying, but swimming," said Jimmy, the son of Drs. Lin Mei and Wen Xiong of Martinez.

A member of the school's swim team and the Aiken-Augusta Swim League, Jimmy says he swims at least two hours a day. He also works with the SPLASH program to teach swimming concepts to children.

Students like Jimmy "make us ever mindful of the absolute necessity to make sure our courses are rigorous and challenging so those students will strive for excellence and not sink back into complacency," Smith said.

In December, Jimmy placed fourth in the nation and earned a $30,000 scholarship in the 2008 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology for his research on cell death. He was the lone student from Georgia to place in the Siemens competition.

Described by Smith as a "positive leader," Jimmy also serves as captain of Lakeside's Science Olympiad and science bowl teams.

"Both of these teams have consistently placed at the top in regional competitions," she said. "Jimmy's knowledge of scientific concepts is far reaching. My teaching career has definitely been enriched by not only teaching him, but also working with him on the science team events."