The sun shines bright across Davis Field. The audience in the bleachers await action. All of a sudden, Alec Zhang (’25) runs to the center of the field, snags the ball from the possession of the opposing team and earns a streak of points for the Eagles. The crowd erupts into cheers, the stands buzzing with excitement and energy.

Alec first discovered his love for soccer at the age of four as he was inspired by his dad, who played soccer in college. Soccer remained his favorite sport even after he tried other sports like basketball, tennis, swimming, ping pong and table tennis. He currently plays in both club soccer and on the varsity team as team captain, dedicating a considerable amount of time to soccer every week. Alec emphasizes the importance of personal relationships in playing soccer.

“Even watching the game with a lot of people is really enjoyable,” Alec said. “In terms of playing, it puts you in a different setting than other sports, where you’re able to enjoy the outdoors, but also bond with teammates. In soccer, it’s really important to have chemistry between teammates, because soccer is a really team oriented sport, and you can’t do anything individually without having someone else to support you.”

Outside of playing soccer, Alec also researches injuries in sports and attempts to use statistics to predict an athlete’s chances for future injury. He initially introduced himself to research through the research methods class offered at Harker in his sophomore year, where he focused on investigating a business model looking at how injuries can impact a player in a transfer market. 

“I sprained my ankle, and I was out for one and a half months, and I reinjured it in tenth grade,” Alec said. “That prompted me to begin research on injuries. There isn’t much done in that field because it’s really hard to predict these injuries, but I didn’t want this to happen to other people, so I wanted to at least explore how injuries can have an impact on athletes because of the real impact they had on me and my teammates.”

From his research journey, Alec learned the importance of being willing to accept change. His initial goal was to find out how different statistics and player injury history can impact their market value, but he ultimately found out that these statistics do not have a significant impact on the value of players. Alec highlights the value of persistence in his research despite facing certain challenges.

“Even though it’s not the result I expected, I know it’s still good research,” Alec said. “I’ve done the correct steps, it’s just that research doesn’t always work out the way you want to, and you just need to keep going.”

Close friend Max Zhai (’25), who met Alec in sixth grade, appreciates Alec’s sense of humor that allowed him to relate to Alec. Max observes how Alec grew self-confidence and demonstrated his innate qualities. 

“I thought he was a really funny guy,” Max said. “I remember getting close to him quickly since our sense of humor was pretty similar, so we definitely got along well in that regard. He’s definitely matured a lot as a person. He’s developed a lot of confidence himself, and that’s allowed me to see more of him, and see what he values as a person.”

Outside of sports, Alec also found an interest in piano at a young age after being introduced to it by his mother. He is currently working towards a certificate, and while he initially did not enjoy piano, Alec recently found out how much he values the learning experience. 

“My main challenge was that beginning time in elementary school and a little bit of middle school where I didn’t want to do it,” Alec said. “But just enjoying the music and understanding it got me through that challenge. Piano and research have both taught me to work hard, both academically and through extracurriculars.”

Close friend Hanyang Shang (’25), who met Alec for the first time in their frosh year working together on a DECA project, notes Alec’s hard working and practical attitude.

“He was hard-working and very kind,” Hanyang said. “I did a DECA project with him, and he did a lot of work. He was scheduling meetings and taking notes every meeting. So I thought he was really hard working and dedicated to get things done, because that was literally my first time doing a project with him. He was taking care and helping us while dedicated and focused.”

Close friend Aaron Guo (’25) notices how Alec is more focused on the things that pique his interest. Aaron admires Alec’s dedication in delving deeper into both computer science and engineering. 

“Alec is a very calm person,” Aaron said. “I admire that aspect of his mentality. He’s always mentally stable, and he just locks in. My advice to him would be to focus up and lock in a little bit earlier, and recognize when you have to put more effort in.”

Alec reflects on his experiences throughout the course of his life and believes that working hard and giving all the effort possible is the most important factor. He emphasizes the importance of putting his best effort in everything he does, regardless of the potential challenges.

“I wouldn’t say I want to leave a huge legacy,” Alec said. “I want to be a person who tries their best and works the hardest. I don’t care about fame, of course you want to have money, but that’s a part of working hard. My overall legacy would just be a normal person, who works hard and tries their best.”