Michelle Zhang ‘28
May 16, 2025
On May 3, Mercersburg Academy celebrated Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with a special Q&A event featuring renowned comedian and actor Ronny Chieng. Best known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show, his Netflix stand-up specials, and acting roles in Crazy Rich Asians and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Chieng has become a prominent voice in comedy and media.
Organized and coordinated by Reverend Dr. William Whitmore and Mercersburg Academy’s Asian Student Union (ASU), the event highlighted the importance of AAPI representation and identity. “After talking with the ASU, we wanted to bring someone relevant to AAPI who works in entertainment,” said Whitmore. President Cecilia Wang ‘25 stated, “The event’s most challenging part is contacting Ronny's agents and inviting Ronny to host a talk.” The Q&A with Ronny Chieng was held through a Zoom call.
Talaina Jarrett ‘25 said, “When I first heard he was coming, I was really excited, and I was disappointed when they revealed it was going to be via Zoom. But, I was still really excited because I think it’s pretty rare we get to see an actor like this come to our school.”
Chieng shared stories from his personal journey–from growing up in Malaysia and Australia to building a career in comedy in the United States, speaking openly about navigating cultural expectations and challenges as an Asian American comedian.
“Inviting Ronny Chieng over demonstrates the potential things Asians can do.” Jaidee Promphan ‘25 stated after the Q&A. Ellie Yang ‘27 echoed her words, saying, “I liked how openly he talked about his journey through encountering challenges of breaking into mainstream media as an Asian person; it really speaks to me, and I think a lot of international students would agree.”
Bruce Zhang ‘28 expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “I simply love the things that Ronny does, and I was much influenced by his strong morals and how he demonstrates modesty towards young adults like us.”
“I think being a comedian is already hard for the average person, but then to be a minority is even harder, because sometimes you don’t want to make a joke that offends the wrong group of people. As a black person, sometimes we make jokes that we don’t mean in a serious or bad way, but some people may still take offense to it, and to try and understand those nuances is hard,” said Jarrett ‘25.
Stewart Allan ‘27 said, “Hearing Ronny’s perspective made me realize how much work there is still to do, both in media and in our own school, to make sure everyone feels seen and heard.”
Yang ‘27 shared her insights: “The most memorable thing Ronny said was to ‘focus on one thing rather than many’ and ‘if you fail in one thing, try and try again.’ I really try to attribute his sayings to my daily life, and it’s proved to be really helpful.”