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My mom
My mom is very important in my life because she was the one who raised me and she gives me plenty of great advice. Ever since I was born, my mom made plenty of sacrifices just so I can be happy and I'm extremely thankful for that. Without her, I wouldn't be where and who I am today. -
My dad
My dad has always been there for me, even through the toughest times. Even though he can be hard on me at times, I know that he only wants the best for me and doesn't want me to miss an opportunity. My dad has also taught me plenty of valuable lessons who made me who I am today. -
Ryan Yeung
Ryan is my cousin who I grew up with. We have always gone to the same school up until the middle of 8th grade. He has always stuck up for me and has always been there for me whenever I needed him. He taught me to not care about what others think because at the end of the day, we should just do what makes us happy. He's my best friend and someone I can tell everything to. -
One of my aunts
She was always by my side growing up and she would always make me food. Whenever I had problems, I would go up to her and she would give me great advice. She was always just very supportive about my decisions and would have my back. She would always be honest, therefore, I would know what I'm doing wrong or right. -
Learning to swim
I started to learn how to swim when I was 7 years old and ever since then, swim has always been a big part of my life. I made many friends through swim and in each competition, we would always cheer each other on. I think that being in a swim team really made me push myself to work harder because I wanted to be as good as my teammates and that mentality has stuck with me since then. I also think knowing how to swim is very beneficial in life. -
Getting my first dog
I got my first dog, Snowy, when I was around 8. When I got her, I became a more responsible person because I learned how to take care of another living being. And she has also become such a big part of my life and I'm glad she's here to keep me entertained. -
One of my first swimming competitions
I don't remember my very first competition but I remember one of the earlier ones. I was very nervous because I didn't have much experience but since my teammates were there, they were encouraging me and cheering me on. I felt much better after that but was still a little nervous. I remember not doing very well and was very upset with my results but that only made me want to work harder and beat my competitors. -
Mrs. Ward
She was a 6th grade teacher and a strong believer of Christ. Whenever I spent time with her, I would always feel like I'm connecting with God. This was also the year where I wanted to know more about Christ and considered being a Christian myself. -
Staying overnight at the hospital
I was admitted into the hospital because I had pneumonia. I was really scared at that time because I didn't really know what was happening and I just didn't want to stay at the hospital. But my parents were by my side every day and would cheer me up when I wasn't feeling my best. During this time, I learned to never take my body for granted and to take good care of it because I wouldn't want myself staying at the hospital again. -
Mr. Ward
Mr. Ward was my track and field coach in 6th grade and he was always there to support me. Even though I only did track for a year, I still love it very much. Mr. Ward always pushed each person to do their very best on the team and even though he was hard on us, it was very helpful because it made me realize how much I can actually do and it made me want to be the best version of myself. -
Swim Coach
He became my swim coach when I was 12 and coached me for around 3 years. He was always hard on me but was also very understanding. Although I can slack off at times, he knew what I was capable off and reassured me that I can do so much better. Whenever I was around him, all I wanted to do was make him proud. I would listen to all of his advice and without him, I wouldn't be the swimmer I am today, so I'm very glad that he was my coach. -
Accepting Christ in my life
I became a Christian in 7th grade but I've had my ups and downs. There were many times where I doubted Christ and CAIS wasn't the best place to grow in my relationship with Christ. But once I came to ICS, my relationship got much stronger and I met so many other Christians, it was very inspiring. After becoming a Christian, I just became so much happier knowing that Christ was with me and that I can get through anything with him by my side. -
Kelvin Young
He was my friend's brother and was a few years older than me. He and I had a close friendship and he would always look out for me. He would also give me great advice and I looked up to him because he was always striving for his dreams. He was a basketball player, so he always pushed himself to be better and that inspired me to try harder as well. -
Cherry
Cherry is one of my swim friends that I grew up with and she has always been really encouraging. We would always swim relays together and she would be the one to hype the team up. There was this one time where I was really nervous for a competition but she was there for me and she comforted me and I'm really grateful for her. She is also a person I look up to because she has a really big passion for swimming and pushes herself to be the best. -
Going to the US
This was my first time going to the US and it was a way better experience than I expected. I got to learn about a whole new culture and it has always been my dream to go to the US. For some reason, going to the US made me want to be more open and accepting. I think that the people I met in the US were just so happy and relaxed. -
Chloe Chan
I met her in summer school and we instantly clicked. She is a very straight forward girl and very fun to be around. She taught me to not really care about what other people say and that we don't always have to impress people. She was a very hard worker and she helped me through my hard times. I wish I was more like her because I want to be more honest with people and not always have to sugarcoat everything because I feel guilty. -
Coming to ICS
I came to ICS in the middle of 8th grade and this school was totally different from my last, mainly because there were way more people here. I think that coming to ICS changed me for the better because there are so many strong Christians here and that really inspired me to get to know Christ more and help others with their journeys. I also think that I have become more confident and open here and I think that is a great thing. -
Going to Choate Summer School
I went to this summer school in 2018 and it has been my favorite memory. I was alone in the US during this time so I had no one to rely on, therefore, I became more responsible. I also met some pretty incredible people there and I'm so happy I did because they changed me for the better and they taught me to have fun without stressing out too much. This course went on for 5 weeks and I think that by the very end, I wasn't the same person that I was at the beginning. I think I was a better me. -
Going to Oxygen
Oxygen was one of my highlights of 2019 because it impacted me so much. During that weekend, not only did I grow closer with my friends, but also Christ. I got to spend a lot of time talking to Him, which I don't usually do because of my schedule. It was relieving to talk to my friends about my problems. The weekend was filled with fun activities to help us grow closer to God because for me, reading the Bible can be boring at times so it was great that there were other ways. -
Getting my eye surgery
During this time, my dad was out of Hong Kong so my mom had to take care of me. I became very grateful for my mom because her actions really showed how much she cared for me and loved me. I think that getting this eye surgery increased my health but also my confidence because I was always insecure about my eyes and now I'm just really grateful that I was even able to get the operation.