Alumni Spotlight: MimiQ Soong, 2023 Miss Taiwanese American Queen

Stories Editor Rasa (’25) interviews SOHS graduate MimiQ Soong (’23), a student at UCLA and 2023 Miss Taiwanese American Queen. Some parts of the interview have been edited for clarity and cohesion. 

Who are you?

My name is MimiQ Soong, and I am currently a first-year undergraduate student at UCLA. I am majoring in World Arts and Culture, and will hopefully be adding Political Science as a double major soon!

When did you first join OHS, and what was it like when you first joined?

I first joined Stanford OHS in 2020, when I was a sophomore. I decided to come to Stanford OHS because I was spending about 25-30 hours on ballet weekly, which interfered with my brick-and-mortar school schedule. At the same time, I was also very invested in school and challenging myself academically. I found that at OHS, I could plan my courses around ballet, and even take my computer to ballet to squeeze in a class between training.

When I first joined, it was when the pandemic had first hit, so everyone was online, including me. By having everyone online, it helped with the transition because I couldn’t really experience FOMO! However, even after schools started reopening their campuses, I found that the community at OHS was amazing, and I loved interacting with the other students as well as joining clubs and circles.

What was your favorite class at OHS and why?

My favorite class at OHS was the eleventh grade core class: Democracy, Freedom, and Rule of Law. I had never taken a class similar to it, and I loved how I could apply the readings for the class to reality. I enjoyed delving into the formation of societies, and all the prompts for the essays of the class were surprisingly fun. For all the essays, I would start writing, and ideas that I developed from the readings would just keep flowing in.

What was your favorite thing about OHS, and how did it prepare you for after graduation?

Looking back, my favorite thing about OHS was our discussions and how all the teachers and classmates would challenge each other's views, making us think harder and deeper about the subject. I loved how we were always taught to not look at one side of a story and were always reading objections or various aspects of each topic. While at times  all the different interpretations or beliefs about a subject made me pretty confused as to what  my stance on a subject was, it ultimately made me want to understand the world around me even more. I would say that I really appreciate OHS for opening up my eyes to various worldviews, and fostering my curiosity!

What are your most notable accomplishments after OHS?

After OHS, my grandmother suggested that I participate in a beauty pageant. Growing up I was very devoted to ballet and drawing and I didn’t even understand what pageants were. However, I was determined to make her happy and proud, so I decided to sign up for the Miss Taiwanese American pageant. As the pageant training progressed, I came to really enjoy the process. After going through a personal interview before the competition day, a self-introduction, a talent show where I performed ballet, and a Q&A portion, I took home the crown! So I’m proud to say that I am the 2023 Miss Taiwanese American Queen.

What is it like participating in a pageant? Is there anything about it that would surprise someone who knows nothing about pageants?

I was someone who knew nothing about pageants, and honestly, I originally didn’t have many positive preconceptions, however, as the training progressed I learned that a huge part of pageantry was advocating for a cause you are passionate about. While the Miss Taiwanese American pageant was at its core, a beauty pageant, so we needed to learn to walk and present ourselves, another huge part of the pageant was spreading awareness and advocating for Taiwan. Taiwan’s identity is ambiguous and only has official diplomatic ties with thirteen other countries. While Taiwan has made major contributions, whether it be to the economy, agriculture, or technology, Taiwan is not widely recognized. I ended up becoming extremely passionate about speaking up for Taiwan and doing what I can for more people to know about Taiwan, a small but diverse island full of delicious foods!

What are your plans for the future?

This upcoming year, I plan to continue to attend events as Miss Taiwanese American. For example, I just came back from a trip from Washington DC a month ago, where I went to the Formosan Association for Public Affairs, to attend a national advocacy conference to learn about current issues of Taiwan-US relations. After two days of workshops and lectures, on the third day, we went into Congress to lobby with members of the House of Representatives and the members of the Senate.

As for the future beyond this one year, and college, I am not completely sure what I want to do yet. I do know that I really enjoyed being in DC, and so I hope to do something related to helping make a change. My major, World Arts and Culture is, in essence, using art as activism. I hope by combining my experiences and what I will learn in the next four years of college, I can find a field I want to work in every day.