Senior of the Week: Angelina Gong

By JILLIAN CHENG, JOHANNA HILLMAN, JUNE KOH, WILLIAM SHU, and FORREST ZENG

Every time The Exonian spotlights a senior, we ask them one question: “What do you wish more people knew about you?”

Most of the time, interviewees respond reflectively—after all, the question is intended to capture multiple elements of their character.

When we asked senior Angelina Gong this question, she thought for a while and smirked. 

“I wish more people knew I had a dog.” 

Hailing from the suburbs of Dublin, Ohio, A. Gong is a four-year senior living in New Hall. She is co-head of Mock Trial and a captain of both the JV ice hockey and Varsity golf teams. She sings in choir and additionally plays the piano and the viola. Around campus, she is known for her warm personality, kind and charismatic demeanor, fierce devotion to her passions, and dedication to her studies. 

And yes, she has a dog. 

When asked about why she decided to come to Exeter, A. Gong admitted that “I kind of applied out of spite. I had this friend in middle school, and her aunt went to Exeter and she was applying,” A. Gong said, “It was during Covid times and I was like, oh, maybe I should apply just to see what happens. She and I had a rivalry going on. I never expected to get in.”

“I have a lot of Ohio pride too,” she added. “I’m from the suburbs, from a small family. And I think that it just keeps me grounded.” 

When she first arrived at Exeter, she thought that academics would be the hardest adjustment. “I’d never been super academic in middle school,” she explained. “But low-key, the social part was also a huge learning curve for me. I feel like it was very different coming from like a really small school in Ohio.” 

She’s grown from having to navigate the complicated social situation at Exter. “I’ve really learned how to be articulate and express my feelings. I think [Exeter’s] taught me a lot about relationships, especially with friends, and how to maintain those relationships.”

A. Gong is well known across campus for being a prolific member of Mock Trial. Having started in prep year, A. Gong has been co-leader of the Academy’s B Team since upper year. 

“I’ve always been interested in public speaking, and I joined the club in prep year,” A. Gong described. “Frankly, I was really bold in my tryout. I remember I was fake crying, pulling out all the stops, and I didn’t think I’d make the team. But, I got an email back, and I made it.”

Mock Trial at Exeter is notoriously time-consuming. For prep A. Gong, the club quickly took over her weekly schedule. “I went to the first meeting and thought that it would be a once-a-week club, like any other club. Of course, it became much more than that,” she said. 

“It became my family,” A. Gong continued. “I started dropping other clubs, not in a bad way, but just because I knew that Mock Trial is what I wanted to do.”

Her commitment to the club has been clear to all those around her, especially her family. Angelina’s sister, prep Kaylee Gong, described, “Whenever she comes back from PEA for breaks, the only thing she talks about is Mock Trial this, Mock Trial that. Our family’s at dinner and all of a sudden, she’s like, oh, I have like a call. And I’m like, what? And she’s like, it’s for mock trial.” 

K. Gong noted Angelina’s incredible dedication to all of her passions. “She puts so much effort into Mock Trial and golf and all these things at school. It’s really nice to look up to how much she cares about the community and how much effort she puts into the stuff around her.”

The experience, to say the least, has transformed her. A. Gong related one defining moment from the 2023-24 Mock Trial season when she led Exeter’s B Team. “There was a moment last year when B team was about to face A Team, and we were deciding which side we wanted to argue—prosecution, or defense,” A. Gong said. 

While the team had prepared a stronger prosecution argument than defense, A. Gong and her co-leaders decided to play their defense team. “We decided that it was more important for the newcomers on defense who hadn’t ever competed at the state level before, to allow them to perform,” A. Gong said. “As leaders, we didn’t sign up to win, we signed up for the team. And that was a thuge turning moment—not just for Mock Trial, but also in my life.”

As a leader, A. Gong has a special ability to explain concepts and include all ideas. “Angelina made Mock Trial very easy to understand,” senior Max Mantel said. “She has that ability to break down complicated ideas. It was easy for me to learn how to do a lot of stuff because of Angelina.”

Part of her ability to explain also comes from her confident learning style. “In my prep year, she was a lower. At that point, we both had a lot to learn, but she wasn’t afraid to ask questions,” upper Ethan Benenson highlighted. “She was very open about trying to better her understanding. Now as a team leader, she’s really solidified herself as a leadership figure.”

Senior Rohit Kantamneni, A. Gong’s co-leader, praised her loyalty. “One thing I’ve noticed is that she’s a very loyal person and she’ll always have your back,” he said. “In a lot of ways, that makes her a great leader.”

Like Mock Trial, A. Gong has played golf since day one. She credits her father for fostering a love of golf since childhood. “My dad loves to play golf,” she said. “Golf is often seen as a high-class sport, so I think a part of him being an immigrant wanted me to have that kind of skill.”

As a captain, she brings a sharp energy onto the course. “Golf is traditionally a serious game, but I feel that, especially at Exeter, there’s a sense of vitality Angelina brings that everyone appreciates,” senior Paco Sze said. “She’s always there to lighten the mood up.”

Golf has also taught A. Gong to stand up for herself, especially in a male-dominated sport. “When I first came into varsity, I was the only girl on the team. It’s taught me a lot about resilience,” she said. 

“At the beginning, I felt very intimidated, but I’ve learned how to stand up for myself and advocate for other girls.”

A. Gong is also a co-head of ESSO Golf. “Especially when little girls come, I see myself in them. I want more girls to play the sport.”

Ice hockey, on the other hand, is a sport that A. Gong had never tried before Exeter. “It’s only ‘cause I needed a PE credit that I tried it, and I didn’t know how to skate at all,” she said. “[Learning to play hockey] was honestly more rewarding than a lot of the things I was good at because being really, really, really bad at something and having to learn it is a huge experience.” Today, A. Gong is one of the captains of JV Girls Hockey. 

“Angelina is part of the core of the JV Hockey team! Whether it’s in the thick of a competitive game or a grueling practice session, she radiates energy and sportsmanship,” Coach Melissa Pacific said. “Her humor keeps the team light-hearted, while her dedication pushes everyone to give their best.”

Oftentimes, Exeter hardens its disciples, turning go-happy preps into stern seniors—but to Mantel, A. Gong has remained the same since day one. “Exeter beats people down, but Angelina has always been not only a mature and respectful person, but also funny and outgoing. That hasn’t changed since day one,” he described.

That’s not to say that A. Gong doesn’t try her hardest. “On the outside, she’s a very funny and happy person, but she’s definitely a hard worker,” said Kantamneni. “She really values discipline, but still keeps that positive attitude.”

In fact, for senior Chloe Richards, A. Gong’s personality is very deep. “People who might not know her will just see somebody who is very funny and driven, but they don’t always have a genuine conversation with her,” Richards explained. “I love how she thinks and how her mind works around different situations.”

As a leader of so many different activities, A. Gong is still able to harness her humor and kindness to make new members feel welcome. Senior Natalia Ulbin had come into Exeter as a new lower on the JV hockey team. “Being a new player, I didn’t have many friends on the team,” she said. “But Angelina was super welcoming. She brought a positive and fun energy to practices and games and made sure to include everyone, whether in the locker room or on the ice. We became pretty close from there.”

Even before becoming close friends, Ulbin still admired Gong’s capability to socialize. “I admire her attitude towards new situations,” she said. “She takes ‘em without any fear. Angelina is one to get to know new people by breaking the ice and making you feel valued.”

Pacific agreed. “She is the type of person who elevates those around her, effortlessly making everyone feel seen and valued,” she said.

“She’s a really supportive person,” Benenson said. “There were moments when I was new to Mock Trial, where she really helped me.”

In the spring, A. Gong will be attending the Washington Intern Program. Reflecting on her time at Exeter, she concluded by returning to the dilemma she experienced as B team leader. 

“At Exeter, we’re all about winning,” she said. “But none of that’s worth it if you don’t have the right people around you. None of that’s worth it if you aren’t taking care of other people. And at the end of the day, that’s what matters.”