Mia Fan shines both on campus and on stage as trapeze artist

When Mia Fan performs, she represents more than herself as a circus artist — she carries her academic life into the spotlight.

Fan is a senior at Clayton Valley Charter High School who has worked hard in the engineering academy for all four years that she's been a student here. She’s also been a part of ASB student leadership for the last two years.

As a circus performer, she has earned many accomplishments. Most recently, this winter, she performed at Circus Bella in San Francisco. When asked about other contracts she's received, it is clear Fan does not lack experience.

“I’ve worked at the Alameda County Fair over the summer. While I performed there, I did 36 shows with them,” Fan said. “That was the Flying Royals Company. They are like a global company known for their flying trapeze. I performed a flying trapeze for them along with an aerial rope.”

Training in gymnastics and musical theater since the age of 7, she takes after her mom, Renita Vinluan-Fan, who practiced partner acrobatics. Her mother has been a major motivator for Fan to pursue circus acrobatics and high-level academics.

Mia Fan, busy at work here during an engineering class, spends time outside of school working as a circus artist. Recently she performed a flying trapeze with the Flying Royals Company. (Photo by Kali Brockett/Talon Staff)

When it comes to school specifically, she has somehow learned to manage her academics and her presence in the engineering academy, along with going back and forth between San Francisco and Oakland for shows.

When traveling and training your body for success, balancing school can prove to be quite difficult. According to Fan, balancing both is definitely taxing.

“I feel like sometimes I have two lives. School is one sphere for me, and then the other part of my life is that I’m a circus performer,” said Fan.

The Engineering Academy, run by Joanna Castillo, has impacted Fan greatly since she joined in her freshman year. According to Castillo, Fan’s presence in the academy hasn’t been in vain.

“Mia has been a fantastic student in our high school’s Engineering Academy and has shown impressive growth both academically and personally throughout the program,” said Castillo in an email. “Mia has grown into a confident and capable engineering student who takes on complex, hands-on projects with creativity, determination, and great problem-solving skills.”

Regardless, Fan isn’t short of opportunities for her future. Already she has options to pursue a school in Quebec that specializes in circus acrobatics, along with a possible future career in political science, specifically international relations and cultural sciences.