News release
The William S. Hart Union High School District announced that West Ranch High School senior Brandon Chang has been selected as a 2026 Edison Scholar by Southern California Edison.
Chang was one of only 30 students selected from a highly competitive pool across Southern and Central California to receive this honor, which supports high-achieving students pursuing majors in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), said a news release from the Hart district.
His journey into the world of complex data includes serving as a principal scientist for NASA’s High Altitude Student Platform.
While many see rows of data as mere figures, Chang views them as a canvas for storytelling.
He intends to use his $50,000 scholarship to study applied mathematics this fall, with the goal of using numbers to reveal and predict the narratives hidden within data.
“The entire West Ranch family is incredibly proud of Brandon,” West Ranch High School Principal Robert Fisher said in the release. “This scholarship is a direct reflection of his hard work and the determination he brings to our campus every day. We are honored to have been part of his journey and look forward to his future success.”
The award marks a “double win” for the Chang family because his sister received the same scholarship in 2023.
Each year, SoCal Edison honors 30 high school seniors who live in or attend school in SCE’s service territory. The program is designed to help students follow their dreams in STEM and empower them to become the next generation of innovators who will help power the future, the release said.
