All eyes on senior Max Zhai, he presents his engineering youth club with its next adventure: a green rectangle covered in intricate metal pathways. This is a circuit board. Current, voltage, resistance and power; these fundamental quantities govern the basics of circuitry. While the concepts may appear intimidating at first, Max finds joy in teaching young students and making these topics accessible to the next generation. 

Growing up as a STEM-oriented student, Max explored math, physics and other sciences ever since he joined Harker in third grade. It was in his frosh year that he discovered his additional proclivity towards engineering. Having developed his foundational STEM skills for so long, through engineering, Max was ready to take on a more open-ended field of study that combined multiple disciplines. His engineering journey has led him to many activities, like participating in research projects and STEM clubs. 

“All these experiences have helped me to find out what I truly want to do,” Max said. “It’s a big jump from freshman year. Entering high school, you have a major in mind, but through all these experiences you really see where the value of these things lie, and you can discover a lot about yourself.”

Since his father works in the engineering field, Max initially doubted whether he truly enjoyed the discipline or simply followed in his parents’ footsteps. In a rigorous school environment full of hard-working students strong in a variety of subjects, finding his own unique path posed another formidable challenge.

“It was overwhelming at first getting used to this environment, constant competition and comparing myself to others,” Max said. “But through my high school experience, I found that it not only makes you feel better, but helps you more as a person to be able to focus on yourself, to bond up with others and to find a community for yourself, instead of seeing everyone else as competition.”

After this change in perspective, Max felt inspired to reciprocate by giving back to his communities. Through experimentation with different pursuits, he found tutoring and teaching to align closely with his goals. 

“I enjoy helping people with their stuff, especially math concepts and physics because I have lots of experience in those subjects,” Max said. “Giving back by doing these small things is really valuable, and everyone should at least be somewhat involved in this.”

History teacher Chuck Witschorik immediately noticed Max’s care for others when he taught him AP United States History during junior year. Particularly, Dr. Witschorik appreciates Max’s genuine interest in assisting others and building relationships.

“Sometimes students are understandably very focused on all their classes, all their responsibilities and everything they have to do,” Dr. Witschorik said. “What’s unique about him is that he doesn’t let that take him away from thinking about other people. You see it in the way he interacts with people, the way he treats teachers and the way he is someone who thinks about others and takes the time to check in with them.”

In line with his desire for helping others, Max co-founded a youth club to apply his experience in engineering to inspire and educate young students. Within club meetings, Max organized projects like designing and setting up circuit boards, assembling hardware and coding various ideas. His other sessions also involve non-engineering-related activities, such as funding pitch workshops. Gradually, Max improved his own social and communication skills alongside his students.

“I value my youth club highly, because this has been a really great way for me to connect with people and use what I have to help others to succeed,” Max said. “I’ve also been able to not just help others, but also myself. I’ve found more confidence through this experience leading, and it’s been really impactful for me both in terms of my leadership experience and general deduction to my group.”

Self improvement is one of Max’s central principles. Placing a greater emphasis on his own achievements and honing in on himself allows Max to not only personally grow, but also apply his knowledge to teaching others. 

“My philosophy is to maximize myself, get out there and fulfill what I can do,” Max said. “I won’t compare myself to some people that are truly exceptional or outstanding. I’ll be focusing on what I can do. I give everything I have to push through these problems and advance towards my goals. I’m happy with this because I don’t have any regrets.”

Since meeting Max in sixth grade, close friend senior Alec Zhang has observed Max’s mindset gradually manifest in his everyday life and character. Alec admires the confidence Max acquired over the years. 

“The main change I’ve seen is when I first met him, he was really introverted, and I didn’t see him interact with people very much,” Alec said.  “But as I continued to get to know him through middle school, he opened up and talked to more people.”

Max’s efforts to strengthen his capabilities not only improve himself as an individual but also rubs off on those close to him. Close friend senior Aaron Guo values Max’s impact as a dependable friend he can rely on for consistent motivation.

“He’s hard-working, but he inspires me to do my best,” Aaron said. “I appreciate him for keeping me in check. When there’s something I can be doing better, he lets me know that I’m not where I could be yet, and that definitely has shaped me to be who I am. I also have learned a lot from him about how to be a good friend.”

Max finds fulfillment in his actions by spreading his quest for self-improvement to the people around him. From training young kids to providing his peers tips on living a meaningful life, Max hopes to strengthen the communities he takes part in.

“I want to be remembered as someone who helped my friends and people I know in the grades below to be able to appreciate all of our experiences together,” Max said. “I find it very inspiring to watch all my friends mature over time and want to help this community grow.”