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On home…

I’m from Shenzhen, a modern and fast growing city in southern China. It’s known for its technology, tall buildings and amazing food. I grew up surrounded by a busy city atmosphere, but there are also many parks and beautiful places near the water. 

My family is small and supportive. We enjoy spending time together, especially doing sports together and during traditional holidays. We have family dinner or breakfast everyday, and my dad will have a deep talk with me and my little brother. I can always learn something during that time and I really like my family atmosphere. Growing up in Shenzhen helped me become open-minded because the city has people from many different places and cultures. 

On Emma…

I learned about Emma through my counselor. He understood my strengths, but also my hesitations. He saw that I often played small, staying quiet in class, avoiding leadership roles, and sticking only to what I already knew I could do well. One day, she sat me down and said, “I think you need a place that will challenge you to grow, not just academically, but in courage.” That was when she first mentioned Emma. I took her advice seriously. I went home that night and began researching Emma. The more I read, the more I realised she might be right. 

My first impression walking into Emma was that it felt different from any school I had ever visited. The building was warm and full of natural light, but what struck me most was the atmosphere. Students walking and smiling at me, teachers greeting students by name, and a sense that everyone was busy becoming something. As someone coming from a coed environment, I was nervous about how an all girls school would feel. Would it be more competitive? More intense? Instead, I found something I had not expected: calm focus mixed with genuine kindness. On my very first day, a student I had never met showed me to my classroom without being asked. That quiet welcome made me believe I could stay. 

What makes Emma special is that it gives me the bravery to try things I would never have attempted before. In my first weeks, I watched other girls struggle and fail and try again and no one laughed. No one whispered. Instead, I saw classmates offering help and teachers offering second chances. Emma has given me permission to try before I feel ready. It has taught me that bravery is not the absence of fear, it is the decision to move forward anyway. 

On dance and basketball…

I’m most passionate about two things: hiphop dance and basketball. They came into my life at different moments, but together they have shaped who I am. I started hip hop dancing eight years ago, when I was very young. At first, it was just a fun activity after school. But over time, it became something deeper. Dance taught me discipline before I even knew the word. It taught me that repetition leads to freedom, that you practice a move one hundred times so that on the one hundred and first time, you can finally stop things and just feel. Eight years later, dance is still a home for me. It is where I go to reset, to express what I cannot put words to, and to remind myself that my body is capable. 

Basketball came later. I started in 8th grade, which is late compared to most girls on the court. I was not the fastest or the most skilled. I joined knowing I would be behind. But I practiced my dribble alone on the empty courts. I asked better players for tips. I got benched and watched and learned. Basketball taught me not just individually, but team-oriented. It taught me that you can contribute even on a day when your shot is not falling.

One thing I have learned from both is that passion does not care when you start. It only cares that you start. Being late to basketball did not make me love it less. Being young when I started dancing did not make me better automatically. What mattered was consistency. 

On Physics…

The most interesting class I have taken at Emma so far is physics. I was nervous going into it because I did not always see myself as a “science person.” But physics turned out to be different. In many classes, getting the wrong answer feels like a public failure. In physics, wrong answers were just part of the process. We would run experiments that failed, and instead of moving on,we would stop to ask “what did we miss?’’ That taught me something I needed to hear: that trying again is not shameful. It is how understanding happens. 

Physics also changed how I see the things I already love. I feel the physics of balance in a dance move. Physics did not just teach me formulas, it taught me to look at the world with more curiosity. 

On Jestermester…

My favorite tradition at Emma Willard School is Jestermester. When I first heard about it, I did not quite understand what it was, a whole week without regular classes? But it became special to me because I used it to try something new: screen printing.

I had never done screen printing before. I was nervous but excited. By the end of the week, I had made my own bag and my own shirt with my own hands. I learned something new, and I had real fun doing it. 

On home…

I grew up in Castleton, NY, a small village in Schodack. It’s always been my mom, my dad, and me. Growing up I had a dogs named Molly, Scouter, and Brodie. Being an only child meant my parents and I had a close bond growing up and we’ve always been super close. 

On Emma…

I’ve been around Emma Willard and the culture since I was two. My first time on campus was attending Revels with my mom, an alum. Each year after I would attend Revels, and even reunions, with my mom. Once I was of age, I went to GirlSummer. 

I went to GirlSummer until I aged out to be an Emma Student. Emma Willard has always been deeply connected to my family. My mother and Oma attended Emma, graduating in 1960 and 1985. Emma Willard to me is a legacy, its years of traditions and an evolving campus of diverse cultures. Emma is so special to me because I get to share it with the people that mean the most to me. I also get to walk through the same halls, step on the same grass, and love the same traditions that the generations before me had the opportunity to experience. 

On softball…

Softball is a big part of my life. It started before I was born with my parents meeting through a softball league. My mom was a catcher, even during her time at Emma, and my dad was everywhere else. Once I had enough coordination they signed me up for T-ball. T-ball evolved into little league, softball, and eventually travel softball. Now I play high-level softball, and am hoping to continue my athletic career on a college roster. 

I’m also very passionate about math and its applications in the real world. Growing up, I always was very good at math and loved the process of it. At Emma I now take calculus and I love it. In college I want to study finance because I love math and I want to be able to apply to a career.

On European History…

My most interesting class was European History with Mr. Lorino. I have never been very good at history classes and I’ve always had a hard time with them. My family comes from a long line of English descendants that came over on the Mayflower, so it was very interesting to see how their lives differed from what mine is like now.

On Revels…

My favorite tradition is not a surprise, but it’s Revels. It’s so amazing that I get to do the exact same thing that my mom and Oma did. It’s also been amazing to watch it evolve in my lifetime, as someone who has seen almost 15 shows. It’s also something I anticipate the most being an Emma Student, I can’t wait until the time that I get my role and I get to share such a sacred tradition with my friends. It will also be fun for my mom to watch me in Revels over 40 years after hers; it’s so special to me. 

On home…

I am from Fairfax County, Virginia, about twenty minutes from DC. At home, I live with my parents, and I have an Australian shepherd named Meggie who is three years old. My family spends time together by listening to music, watching movies, and doing puzzles. I love hanging out with my friends, exploring Georgetown, and seeing concerts at the Birchmere. 

On Emma…

I learned about Emma Willard through a family friend who graduated in 1979. My first impression of Emma was how beautiful the campus was. I was mesmerized and could not wait to see all of it.  Emma is special because of its community. Emma is one of the most welcoming places I have ever been in regard to all aspects. I have been able to grow so much in such a short amount of time and learn about my new strengths every day. 

On journalism…

I am most passionate about English and journalism. I got into this by reading at a young age and realizing I really enjoy writing about what I was reading. I also love talking to people, which sparked my interest in journalism. I have learned that writing is an ever-changing process, and I will always improve. I hope to learn more about the different paths I can take regarding journalism. Sports journalism and human interest stories are topics I look forward to exploring. 

On skiing…

Now that I attend Emma, skiing is a new hobby I would like to explore. I really enjoy trying new things I have never done before and seeing where it goes. Sports are also a major factor in my life, so skiing is a great option to try with all of the snow that comes. 

On Revels…

I am most looking forward to experiencing Revels in my first year at Emma Willard. It will be so much fun finding out what role each senior has and getting to see them perform. 

On home…

My mom was born in Chicago and was raised in Guatemala with her sister. They have a lot of family in Guatemala, and I grew up going there at least every other year. My dad was born in Mexico and moved to Chicago when he was 7. Growing up in Chicago, I felt very connected to my Mexican family, but the first time I went to my father's town was when I was 16. I'm an only child, and I have no pets.

On Emma…

In Chicago, it's very normal to talk about the high school application process, similar to the college one.  A friend and I had been researching schools in 7th grade and I had known I personally was open to, and might even prefer, a catholic high school or a private day school in the city. Our counselor told us about a scholarship for kids in Chicago, and they had many partner schools. This friend and I spent much of our time that summer researching within that partner list, and Emma Willard soon became our preferred school from the boarding list. I ended up getting the scholarship, but I was the only one of my friends who continued with the process, and the Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund helped me apply to six boarding schools.

The idea of a co-ed boarding school seemed a little daunting to me because while I went to a very small school in the city, I felt more comfortable with the idea of going to an all-girls school. Emma seemed very welcoming, and even though I had never visited before attending, I tend to have a very good gut feeling about things. I had taken some tours and shadow days in Chicago schools, but none of them felt like the right match with me. Some schools were too big, some too rigorous. I later realized that Catholic schools weren't a good direction for me. And I could not shake off the good feeling about Emma.

Emma is sooo special to me in many ways. I think the people make it feel so special, but for me, something that I just couldn't live without is the teachers. If Ms. Utterback has no fans, I'm dead because she has been a support system for me just as an affiliate for two years; my advisor, Ms. Halfi, is my favorite person on campus. All of the faculty are amazing, hardworking, and so understanding. 

The theatre directors are my go-to to troubleshoot, and every houseparent I've had has been so welcoming and the perfect fit with the hall. Even people I've never had as teachers make an effort to get to know me and who I am as a person without even stepping into the classroom. My junior year, I was faced with a hard decision of being an assistant director in the winter play and possibly struggling with my course load like I had in the fall. I went to so many people that day before getting back to the director because I knew there were people who were going to tell me their honest feelings.

On theatre…

OMG, this is such a hard question…

Okay, I really fell in love with theatre at Emma. I mean that I had never done theatre before Emma, so I fell in love with the theatre and what it means to do it at Emma. I started doing scenic, which I reached for because I grew up with my dad in construction, so it felt really familiar. Then, I quickly realized I had a lot of the traits that make a person good at theatre, and I had a lot left that I want to learn. 

By my second show, I was the deck crew chief, which is a small but time-consuming position. By that show, I really grew to love the community-building, the inside jokes, and how limitless the theatre can be. That show was probably one of the most scenic heavy shows we've done in my time so far. We built a fake truck, choreographed scenic shifts, and laughed backstage as the actors sang Adele and did a silly dance. It was addicting; the tiring tech week, the adrenaline rush before the show, the nerves, and the strike when we realized everything ended. I've done four more shows, each in a different role: stage management, sound, scenic (again, but this time designing), and assistant directing. 

The people in the theatre are just top-tier; they're silly and thoughtful, and aren't afraid to sound or look weird. Without them, I wouldn't have kept going—especially in a school like Emma, where everyone does so much else already. I have become friends with the most random group of people, yet it is so perfect. Any teacher who has had me knows that this takes so much of my time, but they also know that they are welcome to sit in the front row on opening night.

Theatre has taught me to manage time, focus when possible, multitask, be friends with everyone, call the shots, design, build, delegate, make deadlines, give grace, rest, know when to push myself and others, prioritize safety, read the room, project, be really, really quiet, have fun, and take things seriously. Some of these don't make sense together, but with the range of things that I've done, these are all the lessons that come to mind. 

In the past year, I've shifted to taking theatre classes, too, and I'm working on directing a show in the Spring. Taking classes has really pushed me in ways I would have never done. I've learned how to act from the ground up, organize a full show, and source ideas thoughtfully. I've never touched a light board, never made props or costumes, and those are things that I will do. I hope my journey with theatre doesn't end, so I know that I need to become the very best I possibly can now that I have the resources. 

On hiking…

Since I grew up in Chicago, there were never any chances for hiking, and since living at Emma, I have pushed myself on a couple of hikes and I would love to keep doing it. I also recently (yeah, like a month ago) learned to ride a bike for a trip I'm planning, and I've actually never realized how much I was missing out on, so biking is definitely going to become a hobby I continue exploring. At Emma, I tried rowing as a sophomore, and I definitely want to push myself to do that far into the future because being in the water is a feeling like no other.

On Ring Week (and May Day)...

Honestly, Ring Week and May Day are tied. I love Revels for what it can do to connect alumnae, but as a student, Ring Week is so funny, and is a beautiful tradition of having an upperclassman feel like a sibling. Every year, watching the juniors in costumes is a laugh until you are the one in them. It's also nice to feel like you are becoming an upperclassman when you start talking about it. Planning the proposals, being surprised by the costumes, and anxiously awaiting the ring at dinner is so exciting and a little more intimate than Revels. 

May Day also feels really special to me; the celebration of Spring on campus feels so exciting and beautiful. I was in the dance as a freshman, and my dance partner has become one of my really close friends. Voting for the May Day court is also exciting because you don't know who is in it until it happens. I just love how cutesy it feels, and it reminds me of how quickly the year goes by.

Really, some of my favorite traditions are my personal ones. For three years, I convinced a senior to let me on the triangle just to enjoy the first snow. Flying kites with my friends. I've carried bubbles around campus since I was a sophomore, and the happiness of them throughout the day is what makes Emma fun. Going to the Hispanic Heritage party at the Egg, watching all the interesting plays at REP. Going to the Clark and MASS MoCA every year. The first Farmer's Market in May, the first day it's warm in the spring, and everyone enjoys the inner campus. The day the cherry blossoms bloom in the front loop—those are the little traditions that mark my school year.

On home…

I spent my childhood in Beijing, China, living with my parents as an only child. Although I don’t have any pets, I love seeing animals in my neighborhood. When I was nine, my mom and I moved to the US and have lived here since then. My dad had to continue his job in Beijing, so I don’t see him as often. Although living far away from him, our love and care never fade. I guess this unique opportunity has given me the skill of understanding the feeling of separation at a young age.

On Emma…

I learned about Emma through my high school counselor and Emma Admissions. Hearing about Emma’s academics and history made me so interested in this place. I was never so curious about a place than the time I heard about Emma. Everything seems so fun to explore, so I went straight to the school’s website. The rich history of Emma made me fall in love with it. Let’s just say that no one wouldn’t be fascinated by Emma’s beautiful campus. What I love the most about Emma is that it provides a safe and comfortable space for young women to explore their interests in various fields. It is where everyone tries new things and discovers the talents and aspirations in themselves!

What makes Emma so special to me is the people here. Emma is a second home for many students. We have to “survive” here by ourselves, but we’re not fighting individually when we encounter hardships. Emma is a community full of interesting people and supportive adults, and the friendships I made here are irreplaceable, both with my peers and teachers. At Emma, I can always find people to talk to when I’m walking to different places on campus. Seeing them is always heartwarming to me. The people at Emma are so precious to me, especially my friends here, and that’s what makes Emma so special to me.

On music…

I’ve always had a passion for music, especially singing. I started singing Bel Canto with an amazing teacher at a very young age. Her teaching was not only about singing, it’s more about the feelings singers express. Everything is about passion. She always says, “You have to sink into the world of music!” Music allows me to express rich feelings that words can’t express. The joy, the sorrow, the anger, the shock…everything is in there. 

Besides singing Bel Canto, music, in general, completes me. I love listening to pop music. Right now, my favorite artists are SZA, Daniel Caesar, Frank Ocean…and so many more I can’t list them all. I love everything about music; it carries everything within me.

On softball…

Technically, it’s not a new thing for me. I played softball for four years in elementary school before, but I’ve dropped it since then. It’s not because I don’t enjoy it, but I couldn’t find the right opportunity to play this sport later on. Last year I tried out for softball at Emma, and I’ve never been happier playing a team sport before (swimming, I’m sorry I count you as more of an individual sport). Although I didn’t get onto the final team, I still had a great time keeping this hobby up.

And Revels!

Revels is my favorite Emma tradition. It was such a magical experience in the cold and snowy winter last year. Walking through the tunnel and seeing everyone with full glam made me, and maybe everyone, feel like the main character in a fairy tale. The unique feeling mixed with nervousness and excitement ready for my first Revels was so memorable. I can’t wait to see all my senior friends dressing up and acting their characters out this year!