Triumph Over Adversity: 18-Year-Old Stanley Zhong Lands Prestigious Role as Google Software Engineer Despite 14 University Rejections
Despite his academic achievements and being a finalist in multiple global computer coding contests, Stanley experienced disappointment when he applied to 18 universities and received rejection letters from 14 of them. Expressing his frustration, he stated, "For some of them it was expected. For a lot of them I felt frustrated in the sense of, ‘What do you want from me?’ I feel like as students, we deserve to know what we should be doing in order to get into these colleges."
AKACHI NOEL 
In a compelling turn of events, 18-year-old Stanley Zhong has defied the odds and secured a remarkable position as a Software Engineer at Google after facing rejections from 14 universities. Stanley, a graduate of Gunn High School, graduated with a notable 3.96 grade point average and an impressive 1590 SAT score.
Despite his academic achievements and being a finalist in multiple global computer coding contests, Stanley experienced disappointment when he applied to 18 universities and received rejection letters from 14 of them. Expressing his frustration, he stated, "For some of them it was expected. For a lot of them I felt frustrated in the sense of, ‘What do you want from me?’ I feel like as students, we deserve to know what we should be doing in order to get into these colleges."
Undeterred by these setbacks, Stanley Zhong accepted admission to the University of Texas (UT) at Austin and simultaneously pursued a job opportunity as a software engineer at Google. Reflecting on his decision, Stanley remarked, "I decided to go for a full-time job as well to see what happened. I figured worst case, I would get interview experience and see what the process was like and maybe I would get lucky."
Fortunately, luck was on his side, as Stanley secured a role as a software development engineer at Google, a position that remarkably does not require a college degree. Grateful for the opportunity, Stanley plans to continue working at Google for at least a year before reassessing his educational path.
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"I am very lucky to have this opportunity, and right now, I will stick with it for at least a year. From there, I will think about, ‘Am I making good contributions and doing good work?’ If that’s the case, I will stay until I don’t feel like I am or that I am really missing out on a lot by not going to college," Stanley affirmed.
Stanley Zhong's story serves as a testament to resilience and determination, proving that success can be achieved through alternative paths even when faced with academic challenges. His journey inspires aspiring students to persevere and explore unconventional routes to reach their goals.
