Jennifer Liu

Hi, I'm Jennifer! If you asked me in 2016 what I planned to do in high school, I would have said, "Eat, sleep, and study." And I truly believed that.

I was a shy kid growing up, and I blanched the thought of branching out and trying new things. I entered high school fully prepared to hit the books for four years and do nothing else.

I am now a senior, and my mindset has changed dramatically since then. What helped spur that change were my two greatest interests: golf and business. I couldn't resist playing not playing golf and learning more about the business world. So, despite my mind telling me to stay in the comfort of my room after school, I joined the golf team and DECA.

The transition wasn't easy for me. I had trouble connecting with my teammates at first, too afraid of speaking up. After golf practice and DECA meetings, I hung around just staring at my phone while I waited for my parents to pick me up, because I didn't want anyone talking to me. I got a subpar score on my roleplay during my first DECA event because I incorporated too much stuttering and too little eye contact. I realized that my inability to break out of my comfort zone was a liability, and I wanted to change that.

Little by little, I improved both my public speaking and sociability. I began initiating conversations with people I didn't know and practicing what I wanted to say in roleplays in front of a mirror. I bonded with my teammates. I asked the employee at McDonald's for extra ketchup without stuttering (believe it or not, one of my proudest accomplishments).

Today, I am a golf coach for elementary school students, captain of the high school golf team, and a DECA international qualifier -- feats I would've never even dreamed about in middle school. But, I could not have done it without recognizing my weaknesses and actively trying to change them. Now, if someone were to ask me what I want to do in college I would say, "Eat, sleep, and study. But also, meet new people, make new friends, and see where this new path takes me."