Piano Prodigy Named USA All-Star

Chia-Jung Tsay ’04 was named to the USA Today College Academic All-Stars first team last week, while four other Harvard students received second- and third-team honors.

The Academic All-Stars were selected based on their work inside and outside the classroom, as well as on a personal essay and two letters of recommendation.

Tsay, a psychology concentrator who is now finishing a master’s degree, was one of only 20 college students chosen for the first team.

“These kind[s] of recognition just make me reflect on the incredible support I’ve had throughout most of my life,” Tsay wrote in an e-mail.

Lecturer on Psychology Brian R. Little, who wrote Tsay’s letter of recommendation, described her as “extremely modest” and “phenomenal.”

Little was impressed by the way Tsay integrated music and psychology in her final presentation for his class.

Tsay’s interest in music began early—at the age of 16, Tsay performed a piano solo in Carnegie Hall. She later went on to take the stage at New York’s Steinway Hall.

Away from the world of music, Tsay became part of the All-USA High School Academic Team in 2000. She also served as the co-chair of Harvard’s Take Back the Night in 2002 and 2003.

Clinical Professor of Psychiatry Judith L. Herman served as Tsay’s mentor and employer.

She lauded Tsay’s personal qualities of “ambition and dedication and caring that’s very special [about her].”

Tsay attributed the fact that three people from Currier House won a place on the Academic All-Stars team as a “total coincidence, but not too surprising.”

She praised the understanding environment of Currier House, which enabled her to play the piano at any hour of day or night.

“Where else can I find Masters who’d even sacrifice their own sleep so that their student can pursue a passion?” Tsay wrote in an email.

Ganesh N. Sitaraman ’04, also from Currier House, was less excited about winning a place on the third team.

Sitaraman, also a Crimson editor, said that he felt the award was not even newsworthy.

Candice Chiu ’04, of Kirkland House, made the third team even though she only applied at the last minute.

In her application, she focused on her work for the Asian-American community. Chiu co-founded the Boston Asian Student Alliance, and also organized the Asian-American Intern Reception for the Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao in Washington, D.C.

Other Harvard winners include Currier House resident Bradford W.Y.F. Lee ’04 and Pforzheimer resident Christina H. Chen ’04.

While the first team winners are awarded a $2,500 prize and trophy, the second and third team receive only a certificate.

Tsay said that one of Tsay’s friends joked to her, “The money is barely enough for your parents to buy up all of those copies of USA Today,”

Ironically, she has only the single copy that Currier saved for her.