Arcadia High School senior Emily Zheng, who last week was named Valedictorian, has been named Democrat of the Year this week.
Emily with Congresswoman Judy Chu
Emily, a longtime blogger for ArcadiasBest.com, was selected as the woman honoree from the 49th Assembly District for the 2015 Los Angeles County Democratic Party Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt Democrat of the Year Award. A man and woman winner from each of the 24 Assembly Districts will be honored at the annual awards dinner to be held in September or October where more than 600 guests are expected.
Emily is heading to Pomona College this fall to study Public Policy Analysis. She has been involved with the Democratic Party since she was in eighth grade at Dana Middle School when she founded Young Democrats of Southern California to spark teen involvement in the community.
Emily with Assembly Member Ed Chau
As a freshman in 2012 Emily was chosen by The Young Democrats of America as one of only 48 students in the country to attend a High School Leadership Academy in Washington D.C. That same year she also interned for the campaign of Arcadia-based California Assembly Member Edwin Chau and was a Finalist in then-Congressman (Republican) David Drier’s Youth Volunteer Awards. She was AHS’s Young Democrats Club President for her entire four-year tenure and volunteered for campaigns ranging from City Council to Assembly to Presidential. Emily also attended Running Start’s Young Women’s Political Leadership Program.
— By Scott Hettrick