Katelyn Zhao

“International law, international politics doesn’t have a constitution, where it’s like, this is what you do and this is why you do it. You just go with what’s there. And I think that’s kind of how we should go about helping people. You don’t have a set of rules of how to help crises; you go to the situation, you figure out what’s wrong, why it’s wrong, and you try to fix it, based off of the context there,” Claire Bauschlicher (12) said.

A volcanic eruption on a small island. A ballet costume sewn by contestants on “Project Runway.” These snippets of the world that spark the imagination of Claire Bauschlicher (12) before she starts writing originate from eclectic sources. Once she begins to brainstorm, the plot comes together in her mind. The eruption becomes part of the backstory of her main character in a fantasy story. The costume transforms into the attire of students in a novel about a ballet school. And though she may not initially know much about the inspirations for her stories, her love for creative writing drives her to research more about these unfamiliar aspects. 

“Sometimes I write about things that I never really knew about,” Claire said. “If I write about characters who are in a particular sport or a particular field, oftentimes, I’m not in that field myself. And so I have to physically take the time to spend all that energy learning about that field, that sport. I definitely learn a lot more in that way because I’m a lot more motivated to learn about different things, and I think the knowledge that I gained from that is very rewarding.”

Claire started creating stories in elementary school but was initially hesitant to put her ideas to paper. However, after taking Expository Writing in seventh grade, she began to understand that writing could be enjoyable outside of analytical essays written for class. Through her characters and worlds of imagination, Claire observed her own growth as a writer.

A story Claire worked on since middle school particularly reflects the evolution Claire’s writing underwent. In early versions of the story, Claire noticed she tended to place more emphasis on superficial aspects of the characters, such as their appearances. But over the years, her own personal growth influenced the maturity of her storytelling as well, leading her to holistically assess her characters’ personalities and thought processes before writing any character-driven plot events.

“If I had a very, for example, intellectual character, all of their actions would be intellectual just because they were an intellectual person,” Claire said. “But now I feel like that’s not all that encompasses a person. If you have someone who’s very intellectual, very artistic, very creative, all these different kinds of intelligences, that’s not all the reason why they make a decision, why they act a certain way.”

Just as Claire learned to understand the complexity of others’ personalities through writing, she gained insight into unique perspectives through representing various countries in Model UN, which she joined in sophomore year. Though she may hold different political viewpoints from the people she speaks with at conferences, she came to value hearing the backgrounds and reasonings behind others’ opinions.

“What I like is that I get to take on a role that I wouldn’t get the chance to take on if I weren’t doing that,” Claire said. “For example, I almost never represent the U.S. It’s ideals or customs, so I have to take on a country that I know literally nothing about. Sometimes the country’s morals are completely different from mine. I can’t go with my own perspective, because then I’m just representing me. Even though I’m representing something that I disagree with, I learn a lot from it.”

Upper school history and social science teacher Carol Green, who taught Claire in U.S. History, Civics, and AP United States Government, appreciates the cheerful presence Claire brings to the classroom. Green observes how Claire’s warm, empathetic nature towards others manifests itself not only in the classroom but also at Model UN conferences.

“Even when we have a Model UN conference, yeah, she’s got her own things that she’s got to do, but she’s always looking out for other people, too,” Green said. “And I think that’s really just this genuine compassion for others. And an eagerness to learn — regardless of which class I’ve seen her in, or if it’s been in extracurriculars, she’s always enthusiastic about learning things.”

Claire’s friends admire her considerate personality as well. Close friend Katelyn Hsu (12) acknowledges her ability to listen and empathize with others which helps her navigate the situations she encounters in Model UN.

“She seems very outgoing, and you would expect her to be loud or talkative because of that, but she’s really good at listening, and she’s very intuitive,” Katelyn said. “She has really good people skills or EQ, that kind of thing. She understands social cues really well.”

Close friend Trisha Iyer (12) admires Claire’s dedication to her interests, which range from K-pop to international policy. Trisha, who met Claire in fifth grade, highlighted her bright, optimistic personality as one of her strengths.

“When I think of her, I always think bubbly,” Trisha said. “Her nature is to be cheerful. She goes through stuff just like we all do. Sometimes life gets her down. But I don’t think it really gets her down for very long ever.”

Whether in storytelling or Model UN, Claire’s empathetic nature helps her value the complexities and unique qualities of the people she meets. Going forward, she hopes to apply what she’s learned through creative writing and Model UN to International Relations, as well as to the nonprofit humanitarian organization she aspires to work at one day.

“International law, international politics doesn’t have a constitution, where it’s like, this is what you do and this is why you do it,” Claire said. “You just go with what’s there. And I think that’s kind of how we should go about helping people. You don’t have a set of rules of how to help crises; you go to the situation, you figure out what’s wrong, why it’s wrong, and you try to fix it, based off of the context there.”