Business Insider Features Zhen ’16

Lower Kevin Zhen recently found instant fame as his post on Quora website worked its way into Business Insider, published on its site on March 30. Zhen responded to the question, on the xxx web site, “Which is more ‘elitist,’ prestigious New Hampshire boarding school Phillips Exeter Academy or Parisian prep school Lycée Louis-le-Grand?”Writing an off-hand response late on a school night, just “wanting to answer the question,” Zhen never suspected that he would soon gain internet fame.“[The story] became viral when a writer from Business Insider asked me if he could feature my article, and naturally I said yes, because it was already on the internet. I expected it to become publicized, but not gain as much attention as it did so fast, which I guess was a nice surprise,” Zhen said.In the article, Zhen says, “in my personal experience, students, faculty and the people of Exeter have never really cared [about who is on financial aid]. While I have heard of some cases of discrimination from time to time, these cases are rare and few, and are often frowned upon by the Academy.”He then proceeds to recall two heartwarming stories of his experiences of the kindness at Exeter. In the first, he describes how during the winter he was stranded in Florida due to a severe snowstorm. He would have returned to Exeter a week late, but instead a friend of his offered him a ride on her private jet.“This student is a girl who shared the difficulties of ap chem with me and who participates in debate club with me as well and whose kind-hearted soul will never be forgotten by me,” Zhen wrote. When she called me, I didn't even know she was an ‘elite.’ She appears usually casual, and doesn't wear rich white girl clothes, but instead is a peer and ally in the cold winters.”In the second story, he recalls how his winter boots broke and his feet were freezing, but his financial aid didn’t cover replacement boots. He soon found, however, that the Exeter community was very sympathetic, and within a week the financial aid office had covered a new pair of boots.He concludes the post by reminding readers of the Academy’s motto, non sibi, or “not for oneself,” and assuring the reader that Exeter may be elite, but it is not an elitist school.Following the Business Insider posting, Zhen received many critical and skeptical responses in the comments section. Many people “called BS on his post,” trying to flesh out details which disproved the validity of the post, such as, “there are no puddles in New Hampshire.” Others accused Zhen of lying completely and claimed he doesn’t even attend Phillips Exeter Academy. Still others criticized his grammar.When asked about the caustic responses, Zhen said, “I thought the comments were kind of funny, and I wasn't really offended. I typed in a comment or two in the comment section actually, trying to explain that I was just trying to tell two different stories of kindness, but I guess some people just don't believe I exist or that puddles don't exist in the winter either.”News of Zhen’s response spread around the school via social media, especially on Facebook. Many students showed Zhen their support in person, congratulating him on the touching post. Others took it upon themselves to share Zhen’s response on Facebook to show him their support.Lower Amelia Stucke agreed with Zhen, having come to Exeter prepared to face snobby rich kids that would treat her poorly. She said, however, “So far at Exeter, I've never come into a situation where I felt awkward or that I couldn't do things because I wasn't as rich. Exeter's a great place for all people of all backgrounds."Lower Pranay Vemulamada, a close friend of Zhen, felt that he could also relate to Zhen’s experiences. “I shared [his post] because I was glad that Kevin articulated so well that Exeter isn't all that elitist, and that he was brave enough to tell people about his experiences here.”When asked why Zhen’s story became so popular, many believed that it was because it showed Exeter isn’t all that elitist, contrary to the popular belief of Exeter as a rich, white kid prep school.Vemulamada said, “I think the popularity stemmed from the fact that Exeter has this rich-kid, preppy image. We are perceived as privileged, and the fact that Kevin's answer showed that Exeter is a community full of people from different backgrounds, both rich and poor, most likely explains its overwhelmingly positive response.”Zhen was amazed by the positive support he received from the community. He said, “The support was phenomenal. [M]any of my friends shared the article and congratulated me. Teachers would thank me for sharing my story and I felt appreciated by the whole community.”