Caden Hwang

At 15 years of age, Caden Hwang is a persistent and compassionate individual who strives to become the best of himself. Whether it be through his extracurriculars or rigorous school courses, Caden aims to dedicate his time towards law and social changes in order to deepen his understanding of Philosophy, Politics, Economics and the world.  

 

At an early age, one of the most memorable experiences Caden has experienced is euthanizing a dog for the first time. On a typical day as Caden, a student veterinarian assistant, walked into his clinic, he remembered the first thing he saw was a goldendoodle; motionless on an operation table with a fading heartbeat of 65 beats per minute. Reading the file noting the dog’s condition—8 years old, chronic kidney pain and brain tumor—it hit Caden: He was going to help assist the euthanization of a dog. Caden never engaged in debates about euthanasia nor did he agree with or oppose the method. That at moment, he was simply following the doctor’s expertise, preparing the needed equipment and stabilizing the dog for the injection. The technicians gripped the snout and injected the needle into the dog’s neck. After what seemed like the longest 5 seconds, his pupils dilated and the line on the patient monitor went flat. 

 

Assisting through the euthanasia process—walking into the room and seeing a dog knowing that after a minute passed, that dog would not exist—made Caden realize that life is short. Instead of wasting his life on excessive distractions,Caden aims to direct the limited time he has toward developing his work ethic in school and extracurriculars. Thinking back through provincial debate competitions and rigorous school assignments that Caden initially thought were life-changing, he realized that from this future point in time, life doesn’t revolve around winning the most outstanding awards or receiving the highest grades in class. Caden believes having the chance to learn and appreciating the opportunities that many others cannot experience, whether working at a veterinary hospital or supporting a clinician with a needed procedure for the very first time, should be most treasured. 

 

This summer, Caden will live on Brown campus as he attends Brown University’s undergraduate Pre-College Program Leadership Institution of Educational Equity. In the future, Caden aims to major under the category of Social Sciences at Pomona College. After graduating, he hopes to further continue his studies of law and philosophy. Additionally, Caden hopes he can utilize his skills to make a greater positive impact to his community.