Karen Quincy Loberg / Star staff "There is a human instinct to help others and to strive for some type of goal together," said Angela Chen, this year's top winner of the Star Scholar Awards on Thursday.

Angela Chen's love of music began when she was about 6 years old and started taking piano lessons.

By second grade, Chen was playing selections from famous composers like Johann Sebastian Bach. She took up the violin two years later.

It was during eighth grade, however, when Chen decided she should share her love for music. She and her older sister Tiffany started the Perfect Pitch Music Program, which provides free piano lessons during the summer for students and even their parents.

"I remember how hard it was to learn, but I loved it," said Chen, now a senior at Moorpark High School. "Listening to music makes me see things in perspective. It can help students emotionally and in school. I just want the students to enjoy it and see that it can help them in many ways."

Her love of teaching others, while keeping up her grades and managing her busy schedule as a member of Moorpark's Academic Decathlon Team, are just some of the reasons why Chen was named top recipient at this year's Star Scholar Awards banquet.

Chen and 79 other high school seniors in Ventura County were recognized for their commitment to volunteerism and their schools at the banquet Thursday night at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley.

The Star Scholar Program, which is organized by The Star in conjunction with the Ventura County Community Foundation and the Ventura County Office of Education, recognizes the county's top high school seniors for their outstanding volunteerism, extracurricular activities and academic performance.

Chen, who plans to go to Harvard University, received the $5,000 Julius Gius Scholarship at Thursday's event. Gius was The Star editor from 1960 to 1988.

The Ventura County Community Foundation also awarded other students with scholarships. It plans to meet its goal of raising about $1.1 million by June.

Stan Mantooth, associate superintendent of administrative services for the County Office of Education, addressed the crowd before he read all 80 students' names.

"This room is so full of brain cells that I know through osmosis I will wake up tomorrow and I will be smart," Mantooth said. "We are so proud of you and it is through you that our faith is restored in the future with what you will accomplish.

During the ceremony, parents snapped pictures and shot video as their son or daughter received the award from Joe Howry, Star editor and vice president; Hugh Ralston, president and CEO of the foundation; Monica White, director of marketing for the Star; and Su-Lin Rubalcava, Star in Education Foundation manager.

Author and lecturer Chérie Carter-Scott also spoke to the students about life lessons, making mistakes and learning to persevere.

"You are standing in a place of stardom," Carter-Scott said to the students. "You couldn't be here if you didn't believe in yourself."

Chen said she was surprised to receive the Gius Award and thanked her parents for supporting her goals.

She said teaching and helping others is something she enjoys.

Aside from her family's music tutoring program, Chen has traveled to Taiwan, where she and other Chinese-American students taught English.

While she looks forward to attending Harvard with her older sister in the fall, Chen's life is currently consumed with keeping up her 4.57 GPA and studying with her teammates for the national Academic Decathlon on April 30 to May 3 in Garden Grove.

Although balancing her busy schedule can be challenging, Chen said volunteering and helping others also helps keep her focused.

"There is a human instinct to help others and to strive for some type of goal together," Chen said.