From “Almost Impossible” to Stony Brook’s Highest Undergraduate Honor

Vivian Zhu's persistence carried her from an uncertain start in computer science to the Ward Melville Valedictorian Award.

When Vivian Zhu arrived at Stony Brook University, she had no intention of studying computer science.

Zhu entered as a business management major and believed she was not suited to computer science after struggling with a class in high school. But at her mother's encouragement, she began considering a second major in the subject.

When Zhu contacted advisors, she learned that transferring into the computer science major would be extremely difficult. Rather than abandon the idea, she researched the prerequisites and set out to earn As in the required courses.

"I didn't take 'no' for an answer," Zhu said.

At first, her motivation was simply to gain admission to the major. Over time, she began to enjoy its challenges.

"As the semesters progressed, I began to enjoy learning the difficult concepts, working through several-hour debugging sessions and badgering professors with a million questions during office hours," she said. "It became a conquest to learn challenging but interesting material."

The summer before her junior year-two years after she began pursuing the required courses-Zhu received the email confirming her acceptance into the computer science major. She would go on to receive the Ward Melville Valedictorian Award, Stony Brook University's most distinguished undergraduate honor.

Because math and programming had not always come easily to Zhu, the achievement was especially meaningful.

"I think back on the countless nights of trying to understand even the most basic concepts, the numerous hours I spent in office hours with professors, and the textbooks I read and reread till the contents clicked," she said.

Her approach to difficult work was shaped by her mother's advice: "No matter what you do, do it to the best of your abilities. And just do a little more every day."

She recalled spending more than 12 hours trying to fix a bug in a programming assignment. At nearly 1 a.m., Zhu considered stopping for the night but decided to work just a little longer. Within 10 minutes, she found the bug and completed the assignment.

"It remains one of my favorite reminders that persistence often pays off," she said.

Faculty members who worked with Zhu saw strengths that extended beyond her persistence and grades.

"Vivian is especially deserving of the Ward Melville Valedictorian Award, not only because of her academic record, but also because of her ability to work so effectively with other students and with faculty," said Robert Kelly, senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Zhu's instructor in CSE 416. "I watched her motivate her teammates to contribute to the project at a very high level."

Zhu's undergraduate experience also gave her opportunities to bring together her interests in business and technology. Through Stony Brook's two-semester Business Honors Program, Zhu and her teammates developed an AI-powered product concept to expand Broadridge Financial Solutions' compliance offerings and presented their proposal to company executives.

Zhu said working alongside her teammates Cooper Gee, Li Yuan Cao, David Safo and Jake Lefkowitz strengthened her understanding of teamwork and collaboration, while presenting to Broadridge executives gave her valuable professional experience.

Zhu credits Stony Brook's rigorous coursework and accessible faculty with making her undergraduate experience especially meaningful. She expressed particular gratitude to several of her instructors, including Margot Palermo, James Dunne, Robert Kelly, Ritwik Banerjee, Jalaa Hoblos, Abid Malik, Eugene Stark and Himanshu Gupta, who challenged her intellectually and invested in her growth beyond the classroom.

Zhu hopes other computer science students will bring the same mindset to their own challenges.

"There will be times when you feel as if you will never solve a problem or understand a concept," she said. "Embrace the difficulty and enjoy the challenging aspects of this major. Without challenges, learning and success don't feel nearly as rewarding."

After graduation, Zhu will join TD Bank as a digital analyst on its Commercial Banking team.

"This recognition was never the intended goal because hard work was simply the responsibility I owed to myself and to my family," Zhu said. "From being unsure if I was able to study computer science at Stony Brook to receiving the most distinguished undergraduate honor, I am grateful for the opportunities that dedication has made possible."