Splash! The sounds of the pool reverberate through the community complex as water slaps against the edges. Gasps of laughter fill the air as senior Alex Zhong shares a moment with his family, and the spark of a lifelong love for swimming begins to take hold.

When Alex entered Harker in sixth grade, he didn’t know many people. Adjusting to a new environment proved challenging at first, but he soon found his footing. Many of his new friends played water polo, and their encouragement pushed him to explore the sport.

“My friends egged me on to try water polo and join San Jose Express,” Alex said. “That’s when I really started enjoying not just swimming, but also water polo. Similarly, for other activities like the violin and playing orchestra, I enjoyed being able to collaborate with my friends, my teammates, in a supportive and very non-toxic competitive way where we pushed each other to be better.”

As Alex immersed himself in water polo, he found his sense of community expanding. Around the same time, he joined the school orchestra, giving him a second team that inspired and challenged him. Whether chatting between swim sets or rehearsing with his violin section, Alex found meaningful connections through both music and sport.

“I feel like it’s a great time to hang out with friends who do not go to Harker, and since it’s during orchestra, it’s where I spend a lot of time, so it’s definitely a great chance to connect with them,” Alex said. “The performance aspect of violin is also really enjoyable for me. Not so much the performing, like solos, but just to interact with the audience.”

Outside of school, Alex also plays with the Bay Area Youth Music Society. Having joined in elementary school, he has grown with the group, sharing both its successes and its challenges. One such challenge came during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since BAYMS frequently performs at senior centers and retirement homes, many venues shut down during the pandemic. As a result, the group had fewer opportunities to connect with their usual audience.

“I get super nervous when I’m performing solos,” Alex said. “I think everybody gets a little bit nervous when they’re on stage by themselves, like performing or presenting something, but I think with constant performances and knowing that I have everybody behind me and knowing the audience, it’s gotten a lot better and has helped me improve in those aspects.”

That strong connection to his audience is rooted in his early upbringing. After moving to the United States from China, Alex spent much of his childhood in the care of his grandmothers while his parents worked. His grandmothers would take turns flying in from China, spending six-month stretches raising Alex and his brother.

Those formative years taught him the importance of family and community, values that now inform the way he approaches music and performance.

“The people at the senior centers smile every time we go there and are always super excited and happy,” Alex said. “They don’t really have that many opportunities to listen to live music or to really interact with performances that train to our level. A lot of their comments are about how much they enjoy our performances and how we’re a highlight of their weekend. That’s what motivates me to continue playing.”

In addition to performing with the Harker orchestra and BAYMS, Alex also collaborated with his close friend senior Andre Lu to organize a benefit concert to support those impacted by the Maui wildfires.

“We organized a fundraising concert. I don’t remember how much we earned, but it was for the Maui wildfires,” Andre said. “We took promotional photos at our friend’s house because her mom has a photography set up and I think we bonded a lot through that during our junior year together since we spent so much time practicing and learning the piece with his teacher.”

Alex’s growth has also been visible to math teacher and boys water polo coach Victor Adler. Dr. Adler met Alex when he was just starting water polo and later taught him in class. He sees how Alex balances academic and extracurricular commitments with a calm, thoughtful demeanor.

“I met this kid a long time ago when he was playing water polo, then he was in my class and I got to know him in a number of different venues,” Dr. Adler said. “He does not seem to get too anxious about being perfect at everything and he does a lot of different things with joy, where others would be stressed.”

That dedication doesn’t go unnoticed. Close friend senior Daniel Chen cherishes how Alex’s passion for music is evident, especially when they performed together at la Noche Cultural their sophomore year.

“He’s really dedicated to music, like he genuinely loves it,” Daniel said. “I think music allows him to express his internal feelings because he always holds a very complex web of emotions. He is always feeling a lot of things, so being able to express it through music really helps him.”

Music has not only deepened Alex’s relationships with others but has also reshaped how Alex viewed practice and performance. From hours of rehearsing to the collaborative process with Andre, Daniel and others, he has learned the value of discipline and teamwork.

“I think consistently working and a consistent ethic and having the diligence that is involved with continuing to practice every day is an important aspect of playing violin,” Alex said. “It has taught me the value of community and collaboration as well as spending time with friends. I think across all of my activities, that’s what I value the most.”