Perhaps you’ve seen him laughing and chatting with friends. Maybe you’ve seen him sprinting along the track with determination and focus in each stride. Maybe you’ve noticed him walking with his headphones in while listening to new music. Or maybe you’ve witnessed him bring thoughtfulness and comedy to class each day. From the track to hallways to classrooms, Michael Chang (12) approaches all aspects of life with curiosity and motivation to improve. 

After attending a sports summer camp in fifth grade, many of Michael’s instructors suggested that he should run track. He later acted upon this advice in seventh grade when he joined the track team for the first time. Though he initially also played basketball, Michael found inspiration in the hard work that his teammates put into track, so much so that he ended up quitting basketball and fully committed to track in his junior year.

Close friend Om Tandon (12) admires Michael’s dedication to the sport. He praises Michael’s discipline and focus when it comes to training and improving as an athlete.

“His focus is something that I’m really inspired by,” Om said. “He made the switch from basketball to track in the spring, and he has been so dedicated to being the best possible track athlete he can. We had some friends spend the night at my house, and he actually left and didn’t spend the night because he had to get up early for practice the next morning. The dedication he has in things like that is something I really want to learn from.”

After spending many hours training for track, Michael now feels familiarized with the route he must take to make progress in the sport. Though aware that the process can be daunting at times, he still dedicates time and effort to his craft. Michael’s persistence allowed him to become one of the most valuable members of the track team and travel to the 2023 State Championships in Fresno as a relay alternate. His experience taught him the importance of working hard and recognizing smaller victories while facing adversity. 

“Track is such a linear sport, in that if you put in the work, it will show, and it’s just a really enjoyable process,” Michael said. “It reaffirmed my belief that putting in work will always guarantee results. Sometimes, with long processes such as writing an essay or college apps, when you don’t see results after hard work for an hour or two, it just starts to get overwhelming. But looking at the big picture helps you become more confident in the process.”

Close friend and track teammate Andrew Smith (12) commends Michael’s absolute devotion to all activities that he participates in. He also applauds Michael’s desire to understand situations and problems fully. 

“In training and on a day-to-day basis, he has a sense of drive and motivation and focus whenever he is doing something,” Andrew said. “When he is doing something and he is really working on it, he is wholeheartedly committed to that thing, whether that be track, or an assignment, or understanding something or a relationship.”

Michael also found a true interest in learning and discovery through studying the past. Between his economics and history classes, he remains curious about events and people of the past while connecting them to the future.

“I really like how with history and economics, which is almost a study of history, you can also apply them to the future,” Michael said. “It’s really engaging. History is really fun because you get to learn about past events and people.”

Upper school economics teacher Samuel Lepler, who taught Michael in AP Economics, praises Michael’s ability to comprehend and engage in complex material and highlights the energy, humor and entertainment that he brings to the classroom.  

“He’s a sharp and intelligent guy,” Lepler said. “He is able to understand pretty complex college-level material pretty quickly. He works hard, he consistently would do his work, and he was well prepared for the course itself. But I think an even greater strength is his curiosity and his humor. He brings an energy and he brings a passion that is not universal and is very much appreciated.”

While he spends much of his time training with his teammates and learning new things alongside others, Michael also enjoys spending time alone. When apart from others, Michael often reads books, spends time with his two dogs and expresses himself through music.

“I think music is obviously one of the most important ways for people to express themselves,” Michael said. “It’s an indication of your mood or what you are into at the time. I like following my K-pop groups, I like alternative rock and indie music. And, of course, pop music is fun sometimes.”

As Michael approaches the next steps of his life, he hopes to appreciate all aspects of life and freely experience new things without a specific plan in mind. No matter where he is, Michael engages in activities that nurture his curiosity and help him discover and represent his authentic self.

“Sometimes you need to do things that are just for your own enjoyment,” Michael said. “I just like taking my own time and enjoying the small things in life. For me, a big thing about high school has been discovering myself. I didn’t come into high school with a set plan. It’s more discovering what I enjoy and what I want to do with my life. I want to find something to do in life that truly makes me happy, and I think high school has been a way for me to find these things.”