Tracy High School valedictorian Mary Shi is following the sound of music all the way to Yale University.

Shi, who will be honored during Tracy High’s graduation Saturday, said the musical activity at the Ivy League campus appealed to her. A cellist for nine years, she started Tracy High’s Orchestra Club, which now has about 10 students, when she was a sophomore. Shi was also part of what she called the “new orchestra” at the school.

“It was actually the only reason I applied (to Yale),” she said. “They have three student-run orchestras, full symphonic orchestras. It’s really exciting.”

Shi said she’s not entirely sure what she’ll study at Yale. Though she applied as a biochemistry-biophysics major, she said she will likely add political science to the mix, as she enjoys learning about the sciences but is more passionate about politics.

Shi, who was born in Tianjin, China, southeast of Beijing, said she took an interest in music when the family lived in Bucks County, Penn., and her school had a music program. Her parents tend to be technologically minded, and she said that practicing and performing music has helped her develop her creative side and gain perspective in the classroom.

“I don’t think I have natural talent, to be honest,” she said. “Cello has taught me a lot in terms of perseverance. Musicians always say, ‘practice, practice, practice,’ and it’s true. You get what you put into it.”

• Contact Our Town editor Justin Lafferty at 830-4221 or jlafferty@tracypress.com.

Tracy High School: Mary Shi

• Age: 18

• How long in Tracy: Eight years

• Birthplace: Tianjin, China

• GPA: 4.45

• Achievement: Valedictorian

• College: Yale University