Laughing softly while tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Linda Luo (12) reminisces over the past four years. Round, navy blue lenses frame her smiling eyes, and a soft wind blows around her, harmonizing perfectly with her tinkling laugh.

Sitting with impeccable posture, Linda waves to one of her close friends, Helen Yang (12), as she walks by. The two have been friends since freshman year, when Linda immigrated to the United States after living in China for the entirety of her life.

Since her first day at Harker, Linda’s grown immensely as a friend and student, stepping outside of her comfort zone to try new activities and meet new people.

“Linda may come off as a stereotypical Harker student, but when you get to know her, she’s very smart and hardworking, and really good at golf. She’s very patient, and she’s the type of person that’s willing to sacrifice their time to help you. She’s an active member of our community as well, but a lot of people don’t see how many dimensions she encompasses,” said Helen.

Linda recognizes the journey she has gone through over the years to come out of her shell by befriending new people and discovering her interests.

“I moved here from China four years ago, which required me to be more confident, because while living independently, you have to learn to do your own stuff. For example, I had to learn how to cook, but the most important thing it taught me was that you shouldn’t be afraid to connect with others and put yourself out there,” said Linda.

Though Linda now reminisces fondly on the transition, she recognizes the many obstacles she overcame throughout the process.

“[Moving] was scary. America is so different, and it was a major adjustment. Luckily, I met a friend in my advisory, which ultimately helped me be more confident and adjust to my new life.”

She also joined GSA freshman year and since then has served as an ambassador, fighting for the rights of her friends and the LGBTQ community as a whole.

“I think all people should fight for their rights. It’s essential for minorities to present themselves to the greater society and make people aware of their presence, even if they’re not mainstream. They need to be out there, and try to get their different experiences out there so we can move towards acceptance as a society,” said Linda.

Linda also understands the importance of relaxing, and spends her free time dabbling in anime and K-Pop.

“We first met in freshman year, but grew close in sophomore year after we realized we both loved the same animes,” said Linda’s close friend Damini Kaushik (12). “We first bonded over animes, but slowly she became one of the people I can talk to about anything, and I really opened up to her over the years, and now I feel like she’s always one of the people I can go to first.”

Animes also serve as Linda’s sanctuary, giving her a chance to escape all while inspiring her to be more like her favorite characters.

“Animes were the first thing in my life. They’re easy to relate to and understand, and while a lot of people regard them as simple, immature comics, there’s something deeper there. I not only learned Japanese by watching them, but I’ve been able to relate my own personal journey to several of the main characters’ and I’ve been inspired to be special, be someone more than just a random high school student.”