28 May, 2024

Outstanding DAIS Seniors: Meet Samuel Liu

Samuel Liu, DAIS Class of 2024

Samuel Liu, DAIS Class of 2024

Samuel Liu, DAIS Class of 2024
  • DAIS Student Government President
  • NHS Historian
  • Mother's English program leader
  • and... honorary DAIS Sea Dragon!

Hi. I’m Sam. Many of you probably have seen my face somewhere on school promotional materials before, but for those that haven’t, welcome! My time at DAIS has been incredibly fruitful, giving me experiences I would’ve never been able to have otherwise, and transforming me into the energetic, outgoing man I am today.

I don’t want to bore you with all the details of my academic career, so let me give you – young DAIS student – some advice through the lens of some of my favorite DAIS memories.

Tip #1: Join a Club

Whether you like sports, dancing, music, art, or whatever, find an after school club or team for that interest and join it. I found some of my best friends in the swim team, and many of my existing friendships were made stronger through the volleyball team, and its after-practice-freeplay, and the proceeding after-freeplay-Sweets-trip.

Tip #2: Attend School Activities

No, I am not saying this because I am the President of Student Government. Every year, a majority of my fondest memories of that school year comes from watching and participating in the Talent Show, eating delicious food on International Day, and going crazy at school dances (Tip #2.5, don’t take your shirt off at Prom. Please.) Although you may think that going to these events are a waste of time better spent studying, I believe that having a balance of fun and focus is fundamental to having a fruitful high school experience.

winter dance

Winter Dance 2022

Tip #3: Find a hobby…or two…or three…

Outside of school and its ASAs, I had many hobbies that I shared with my friends that gave me that extra spice during the day as well as something to look forward to during the week. Going to the gym everyday with Tommy and Balint, talking music with Charmain and Jayden, and playing games with Ein and Roger became weekly staples that offered the perfect antidote to the often monotonous and sometimes stressful school life. 

Halloween dance

Halloween House Event 2023

Don’t be intimidated by selection of hobbies and feel pressured to have a huge group of friends either, I’m personally more outgoing, but I also know plenty of people who prefer solo hobbies, like art. Just make sure you find a few things you can do that will always give you happiness, so no matter how difficult life gets in the classroom, something is always there waiting to cheer you up after 3:45.

Tip #4: Participate in Community Service

If you plan on applying to American colleges, having community service in your arsenal is very helpful. However, I suggest this tip more because it’s honestly just fun. I love working with kids, so every summer I would look forward to volunteering as camp counselor for our school’s summer camp, and during the school year I would continue to teach through my after-school English class at the elementary school. Basically, my community service became one of my enjoyable hobbies. The feeling of doing something you enjoy amplified by the feeling of doing something good for the community is something I hope every student can experience at least once.

Mother's English class

Mother's English

Tip #5 (the last one): Everything Will Work Out

For my last tip for all you young aspiring Sea Dragons, I want to remind you that everything will work out in the end. Maybe you have a D in AP Human Geography right now, or maybe you have five tardies and you just missed the morning bus. To some of you, high school may feel like the end of the world! But trust me, it’s not. High school is neither the start of your life, nor the end of your life. You might now be able to control what grade gets put into PowerSchool, but you can certainly can control how hard you try. As long as you perform with the best version of yourself, life will often work itself out.

Model United Nations conference

DAISMUN delegate

Something I learned was that things often fall apart when you begin to give up. Of course, not giving up is not easy, and it requires tenacity, discipline, and an appropriate amount of self-pity. Knowing when to rest and play is important, but knowing when to work and commit is even more important.

So, as a part of my last goodbye, I leave with you the words of David Guetta, Ne-Yo, and Akon: “Work Hard, Play Hard!”

Samuel Liu
DAIS Class of 2024