Susie Huang ’72

Susie Huang ’72 came to the United States as a teenager to study piano, but she also found a lasting home at Montclair Kimberley Academy, which is why she is now including MKA in her estate plan.

Winning major piano competitions at the age of nine in her native Hong Kong, Susie was later a soloist with the Hong Kong Philharmonic. At 16, she was accepted to study piano at The Julliard Pre-College School in New York. Susie’s mom, who also wanted her daughter to continue her academic studies, then enrolled her in Montclair Kimberley Academy.

After arriving at MKA, the other “girls didn’t know what to make of my unusual presence—both culturally and academically,” Susie recalls. “But they couldn’t be kinder or nicer. They asked so many questions, and we got so much by learning from each other. It was an amazing experience.”

MKA permitted Susie to leave campus to attend the Julliard School Friday through Sunday each week. Furthermore, when the other students were bouncing basketballs in gym class, Susie, who wasn’t allowed to participate in physical education for fear of injuring her fingers, would practice piano in the corner of the gymnasium. The combined sounds made quite a racket, Susie recalls with a laugh.

Now married with a daughter, Susie greatly appreciates the important role MKA played in shaping her life. After graduating, she chose not to attend Julliard but to pursue a BA in economics from Princeton University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. She went on and, after a long and successful career in finance, continues to serve on the HSBC Funds and other boards currently.

Deeply committed to female empowerment, Susie is also passionate about encouraging others to include Montclair Kimberley Academy in their estate plans in order to open doors for others—just as many doors were opened for her.

“The school is instrumental in a student’s career and life choices,” Susie says. “I’m just hoping to inspire not only some classmates but also women around my years to be good role models in giving.”

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