While the frosh are on the community service trip, the sophomores and juniors are taking the PSAT and the majority of the seniors are sleeping in, Gary Jin (’25) and his friends are on their way to Summit Rock. They hike to the top of the mountain that extends above the clouds, just in time to see the sun come up over the horizon. A search for unique experiences like this defined Gary’s high school years. 

“The goal I have right now in life is to enjoy myself,” Gary said. “I’m still young, and I don’t have very many responsibilities. I get to have fun. After college, after sports, senior year is about having fun with your friends and trying out new things that you don’t have time for in your first three years of high school. My objective for senior year is to have as much fun as possible while I still get to.” 

In every pursuit of his, Gary strives to make his experiences not only memorable but uniquely his own. This mindset, paired with a willingness to try new things, led him to take up the drums after quitting piano. While piano felt structured and restricting, drums offers him the sense of freedom and self-expression he seeks in an instrument. 

“Drums match who I am as a person, and I find it more fun than piano,” Gary said. “There’s more creativity and expression. There’s more you can do outside the boundaries of what’s expected, whereas in piano you can play something at a different speed, or at a different pace, but it’s more difficult to express the way you want to play and yourself.”

Gary finds that same sense of freedom on the basketball court, a sport he’s pursued since elementary school. As a member of the varsity boys basketball team, Gary naturally stepped into a leadership role, earning the respect of both his teammates and head basketball coach Alfredo Alves for his ability to keep the team focused and grounded.

“He’s become a leader throughout the years,” Alves said. “He didn’t need me or anyone to say, ‘You’re the leader.’ He took that role on and was able to lead the team with how he plays basketball. He’s also very personable and sociable. As his coach, it’s been great to see him now become one of those leaders on the court.”

Close friend Bowen Xia (’25) met Gary at a basketball camp in elementary school and the two quickly became friends, regularly bonding over sleepovers involving basketball and video games. Over the years, Bowen came to admire Gary’s composed demeanor and constant attentiveness to those around him.

“Gary is very kind, and he’s considerate of everyone else,” Bowen said. “He’s always looking out for others, doing things in the best interest of his friends. He’s also a very friendly person, and he’s always very optimistic. I never see him have a temper or get angry. That’s something that I can really appreciate about him.”

Close friend Kai Hong (’25), who met Gary in frosh year appreciates Gary for his honesty and sincerity. He regards Gary as one of the only person around him that doesn’t hesitate to deliver the truth, regardless of how hard-hitting it is. 

“Gary is one of those friends that always tells me what he thinks,” Kai said. “If I did poorly on a test and I go complain to my friends about it, then Gary would tell me, ‘Well, it’s your fault because you procrastinated on the homework assignments and never studied much for the test.’ Sometimes we need friends that don’t sugarcoat everything and will tell you the truth. Gary has motivated me to study harder.” 

Gary’s academic drive is evident in his interest in neuroscience and biomedical engineering. The summer before senior year, he attended a research program at Boston University where he modeled the effects of Alzheimer’s. He compiled existing data and researched how Alzheimer’s affects memory at different stages. Gary wishes to study neuroscience due to his potential to postiviely impact other peoples’ lives. 

“I’m really interested in how the human brain works,” Gary said. “To me, it’s the most complex part of our existence. I also like the engineering aspect and the way that you get to build stuff, you get to create something new and the intersection of that is biomedical engineering.” 

Ultimately, Gary is driven by his desire for new experiences. Whether it be through childhood activities like basketball or newer interests like drums and biomedical engineering, he is always willing to expand his horizons. Gary reflects on his experiences in high school and how they’ve shaped him, driving him focus on being present in the moment and taking advantage of every opportunity. 

“If you have an opportunity, always go out and take it,” Gary said. “Early on in high school, I didn’t do much outside of the classroom. I had very few extracurriculars. Most of the time I hung out with my friends, played basketball and video games. Over time, by exploring new things, I’ve been exposed to a whole variety of things that I’m interested in, and because of that, I know what I want to pursue in the future.”