Sometimes you just have to stop thinking and realize you just have to go for it!

I’ve been working with the community since I was pretty young. My parents got involved with Cradles to Crayons early on and I followed. However, now that I’m older, I still wanted to help, but in my own way. I’ve created the Tate’s Fence-A-Thon fundraiser, and it was great being able to raise so much money for charity! However, I wanted to do something that would benefit the community long term. With so much good coming from fencing, and with the fencing experience I have, I think this will make a tremendous impact in the community.

Fencing shows us that the strongest is not always the one who wins. The winner is the one who can adapt, strategize, and persist.

I think it is important to give back to the communities in which I participate and which give so much to me. Fencing has been an essential part of my life since I was seven. Along the way, fencing has given me friendships and many life lessons. I have learned how to come back from failure and how to win and model good sportsmanship. I have learned to work with others in team fencing, and how to mentally prepare for individual events. I am excited to help others learn about this wonderful sport.
To promote a supportive environment in school, I serve on the UHigh Student Council as a Cultural Union Representative and Peer Leader. I also co-founded the Kids Allergy Network, a group for kids with food allergies where kids share their stories through blogs and podcasts and engage in events and advocacy to make allergy-free foods and treatments more accessible.

The winner is not defined by the number of wins and losses, but by what they do in the face of adversity

Since I was a child, my parents have encouraged me to give back to my community. From raising money to help the homeless to having a donation drive for laundry detergent for refugees, I have wanted to make an impact on the world around me.
I started fencing when I was nine, and I immediately fell in love. Through fencing, I have learned discipline, hard work, and a mutual respect from my teammates and coaches. This year I was motivated to partner with a friend, who is also a fencer, to do a monthly clinic to teach other students at my school about fencing. Unfortunately, fencing is not a sport that is easily accessible to learn, and that is what we are trying to change with Youth Fencing Chicago.
In addition to fencing, I am a member of the Scholastic Bowl team at my school and I have been playing the harp for the last six years.

Fencing is more than just a sport; it’s a path to personal development and empowerment.

Fencing has been, and will always will be, a big part of me – fencing brought a balance to my life. Fencing host such a diverse community, and it being a tactical and a physically demanding sport, it was the guide that really helped me to balance my academic and social life, and my overall well-being.
However, fencing is very self-centered and individualized. I knew that there needed to be a change. I wanted to bring the world of fencing to others who had no clue about fencing and the magic it brings. And that’s why it seemed inevitable for me to be a part of Youth Fencing Chicago.

Take every opportunity now, you don’t want to later regret wasting it.

My parents believed that kids need a balance between mind and body in order to develop holistically. They believed kids need to study hard in school, but they also believed that kids need to play sports to stay balanced. In doing so, they had me in every sport imaginable!
When I first started fencing, it didn’t click. However, I stuck with it, and the interesting thing was – my parents told me they watched me changed. They said they saw me develop more confidence, and I seem to take more lead in doing things. So much so, I became the president of the Asian Student Association at my school. So now, it’s just natural to be part of Youth Fencing Chicago!