By Minh Ngoc Le
“I can achieve anything I set my mind to.” That is Emily Chan, a budding freshman and journalist’s motto for the year. Whether she is dancing her heart out or sipping a cup of matcha, Chan puts her everything into anything she does.
A writer and dancer with a crafty side, Chan joined Baron Banner as an opportunity to become more involved with the student culture. Through the class, she hopes to connect with more people while finding out about the unique things at the school.
As an avid user of Notion and Google Calendar, Chan enjoys organizing her life and setting aside time to work on herself.
“I’m really into self help stuff these days. I love making an effort to take care of myself and my mind- a little facemask, journaling, and a cute drink can go a long way for me,” Chan said.
Extroverted. Positive. Hardworking. At the age of 14, Chan has already picked up a variety of hobbies, ranging from drawing to reading or pointe.
Chan began her journey as a dancer at 11 years old. Though she had a rather later start, the dancer has slowly developed a love for dancing and credits the art for giving her precious friendships.
“After every ballet class, I can’t help but smile and think to myself, ‘This is why I love dancing, this is why I started, this is why I want to keep going,’” Chan said.
Competitions are her favorite part, as they have pushed her to work harder and allowed her to grow as a dancer. Knowing that there are those better does not discourage Chan, but rather gives her a source of inspiration and motivates her to improve upon herself.
“The feeling of being with everybody huddled up together, doing our little chant ritual, and going up there giving everything on the stage is so positive,” Chan said. “Those are the moments when I realize I really love dancing.”
As achieving as she is, Chan makes sure to stay connected to her inner child and her memories as a kid. To her, going up to her grandparents house on weekends, swimming in their pool, and pretending to be in a band with her older cousin and sister was the best part of childhood.
Despite her bustling schedule, Chan always manages to find time for creating- whether it is making bracelets or doodling tomatoes in her sketchbook.
“I really like making the Pinterest type beaded jewelry,” Chan said. “I love the chunky charm bracelet style, and a big reason why I [continue to create] is because it reminds me of my late grandmother. My younger sister and I would make bracelets with her when we were younger, so I always feel like I’m paying homage to her.”
For Chan, any day can be a memorable day. Her goal is to attend any top-20 colleges that support her desired career, and in the next five years, she hopes to be a med student, which perfectly correlates to her favorite saying- “health is wealth.”
But after all, Chan is just a teenage girl. Enjoying a strawberry green tea with lychee jelly and boba on a summer day, Chan is fond of all things pink and anything matcha. She loves amassing stashes of Miffy stickers, snacking on soda flavored Puchao candies, and sipping lychee-flavored Calpico. You can find her blasting Laufey on any occasion, especially the song Dreamer for the upcoming winter season.