By Lindsey Catlett
Lenape High School
Averie Wu is a Lenape High School student on a mission. At 17, this Mount Laurel, N.J., native has cracked the code to do four extracurricular activities and still manages to excel on her Advanced Placement (AP) classes.
But what is the cost of seemingly having it all? And what kind of leader will she become?
Before the sun is out, Wu makes her way out of bed, at 6:30 a.m., and gets ready for what she called a “good breakfast” — eggs, cheerios, and a PB&J sandwich. Then, the 11th-grader is off to school.
Lenape High School has a rotating class schedule. But one thing that doesn’t change is the confidence Wu has as she strolls down the hallway. Her kindness and intelligence have given her a can’t-miss label that attracts attention from the student body.
According to longtime friend Kennedy Dancy, Wu is “a leader who knows what exactly to do and when to do it […] while making time for people.”
Far from keeping her knowledge to herself, Wu finds comfort in working with peers. This makes AP Statistics her favorite subject, out of six AP classes.
“We can always bounce ideas off of each other and help each other out,” Wu said. A sense of happiness helps her juggle through many extracurricular activities.
Between working on her business skills at the Distributed Education Clubs of America (DECA), being the class of 2024’s president, and the student newspaper’s editor in chief, sacrifices must be made. “Sometimes my friends are hanging out and I can’t because I have to plan articles, edit, write, or study,” said Wu.
But Wu’s life is not always so rigorous.
In her down time, she likes to paint, draw, hang out with friends, and read. Last year alone, she read 120 books. Tennis and basketball were also among her interests, until a knee injury put her on the bench.
Through it all, Wu considers herself an effective leader. In her own words, “you have to understand where everyone’s coming from, and include them no matter what.” It’s something she prides herself on.
“If you notice that someone is shy, you should try and focus more time on them and make sure they’re always feeling included,” she said.
Wu is a motivated student who is charitable and likes to have fun. Even her leisure time becomes a way to connect to the community. Last summer, she volunteered at a children’s summer camp and taught English to non-English speakers.
When asked how she reacts to failure, she said, “I take it with a grain of salt.” That approach helps her reflect on what went wrong and how to improve in the future. For example, if she gets a bad grade on a test, she thinks about what went wrong and how to change her studying habits.
This determination can take her far. Where will a future leader like this be in the next five years? She imagines herself in some sort of graduate program, specifically something law or medical school related.
Wu is a hardworking and responsible student. She brings a light to the halls of Lenape High School. She is smart and driven, but she also is fun and personable. Wu is a prime example of how Generation Z is going to make the world a stronger place.