Senior of the Year: Catherine Wu

By ERIN HAN ‘26

She makes her way through Agora as she rushes to meet her friends, her backpack heavy with biology textbooks and religion class course readers. As she passes by Grill she catches sight of a group of Exonians, huddled together over their phone screens—specifically, screens that display the animated image of parallel-facing stone towers, and lively giants and goblins that cross over a strip of glowing river that splits two opposing territories. As the battles progress, and purple elixir bar at the bottom of their screens begin to fill, a distant voice calls from a fair distance— “Do you play Clash Royale?” The source of this voice, who has now caught the attention of the group, is senior Catherine Wu, who walks over with the app already open on her phone.

Born and raised in Palo Alto, CA, Wu is a proctor in Amen Hall, and co-heads various clubs on campus, including Taiwan Society, Exeter Research Club, Exie Blog, and Diversify Our Narritive. She is editor-in-chief of MATTER Magazine, and was previously a life editor for The Exonian, as well as chief digital editor of the paper’s Web Board. Through all four of her years at Exeter, Wu has been a runner for the varsity Track Team, and played violin with the Symphony Orchestra. On Wednesday nights she works in the language center as a head proctor in Chinese.

With a plate of activities as full as her’s, people might assume that Wu’s days pass in a fast blur of classes and club meetings. However, quite on the contrary, one of Wu’s strongest values is finding the fun amidst the demanding environment that Exeter can offer. The truth is, to every one of her activities, Wu brings her unwavering curiosity, the driving force that pushes her forward amidst a packed schedule. This spirit of inquiry, along with a steadfast passion for Clash Royale, were things she brought to Exeter from her life all the way back in California.

Wu attributes much of her interest in the STEM field and especially biology, to her childhood, which was backdropped by a lab space. “I grew up in a very sort of scientific background. My dad is a cardiologist, so ever since I was little, he would take me to his office in his lab space and I’d do my homework there on the weekends with my brother. Whenever we got bored, I remember we’d walk around the lab and watch all of these 20, 30-year-olds conducting experiments, coding on their computers, analyzing data and all that,” said Wu. “I guess I’ve just been exposed to that type of research-centered environment ever since I was little, so science has always been a huge part of my life.” Apart from these trips, Wu recalled that another core aspect of her childhood was spending time with her brother—their method of bonding: video games. “Growing up my mom would always take me and my brother to church every Sunday, and early in the morning, she would sing at the service and we’d either sit backstage or somewhere in the audience just listening to her and then listen to the sermon. I remember vividly every Sunday driving there and driving back, my brother and I would be so tired and so bored, and just confused about why we were woken up so early, so we would always end up playing video games together on iPad minis—it was first Plants vs Zombies, which we played for a year. Then there was plans for Zombies 2, then Jet Pack Joyride, and then all these other mobile games.” She continued, “Finally we got to Clash of Clans and Clash Royale, which is still such a big part of my life today… I’ve played it for so long and connected with so many people through it, and it’s nice to think how it really started out just as my way of connecting with my brother and spending that time together during our car rides to church.”

Wu never lost this interest even upon leaving for Exeter, a decision that was somewhat impromptu and driven in part by the effect that the Covid pandemic had on her local public school. “I think the year before eighth grade, my mom wanted me to apply to Exeter because she had actually gone to Exeter. And all my life growing up, I just heard stories about her time at Exeter, and because it was a huge part of her life I think she wanted me to experience that. So I applied,” Wu continued, “I wasn’t fully set on going. I think, in eighth grade, I wanted to go to my public high school to stay with my hometown friends and not have to live away from home all the way across the country. But I applied and then it was Covid that spring. My parents thought, ‘might as well go and be able to get an in-person education as opposed to Zoom classes for the next year or two,’ which happened at my public school, so I came to Exeter.”

While the pandemic and the Academy’s quarantine regulations made for an atypical transition, Wu recalled finding a community, and working around the time she was forced to spend alone. “Prep year, it was Zoom classes, it was Covid, but honestly for me, it wasn’t that bad. I think I was more of an introverted person prep year, so I was completely fine with being in my room and doing my own thing—hanging out with people in the dorm or playing Clash Royale by myself —but I remember how I, along with other prep girls, had been put in Front Street House, so everyone in the dorm was new. We really didn’t know what was going on and we were trying to figure things out on our own. It was really an odd experience, but I did become close with the other class of 2024 girls in Front Street because of it.” She continued, reflecting on her prep self in those moments with brutal honesty: “I would say definitely more reckless, immature, narrow-sighted—I want to say less ‘non-sibi’ too, even though that sounds cliche. If anything, as the years have gone by, I’ve learned from dorm faculty, proctors, upperclassmen or teachers, as well as my advisor and advisory, just the importance of community in a place like Exeter, where really all of us are away from our homes, and to embrace and cherish one another.”

The next year, once pandemic restrictions had eased, Wu, along with several other preps in Frontstreet moved to Amen Hall. Since then, the dorm became a home of its own for Wu, and a place where she found many more friends.

Close friend and senior Alaysha Zhang, who met Wu as a fellow resident of Amen Hall, shared the change she has seen in her over these past years. “I think she’s become more rooted as a person. Just between me and her relationship, I think at the beginning, because she was so bubbly and vibrant, that I never really knew if we were close with each other. It seemed like she was friends with everyone. But — and we’ve also been saying this for a while now — it’s like she’s really my rock,” Zhang elaborated, “There are these people who are rocks in your life: you always know they’re there for you, they’re really reliable, and they’re there for you no matter what. I think Catherine’s truly my rock. I know I had a pretty tough time my senior fall this year, but she was there for me all the time. Whenever I came back, she would order a McFlurry for me and we would just talk in her room.”

As a constant anchoring force, many friends described Wu to be one who openly expressed her care and thought—a quality that they find wholly inspirational. “I think Catherine remembers things that the average person won’t,” said senior Harrison McGovern. “She’s able to recall small comments made in passing and act on them later. It’s very admirable, and you feel that she’s always paying attention, that she’s always really taking what you say to heart.”

David Chen, a member of the Class of 2023 and Wu’s stand partner of two years in the Symphony Orchestra’s violin section, echoed, “I hope people would know more about just how caring she is. I think there have been a lot of times when I’ve felt down in orchestra or just in general, and she always checked in. There are a lot of people who don’t feel that need. I think it’s a broader reflection of Catherine’s priorities, and it shows that she cares.”

Others also highlighted the balance between the rigorous academic aspect of Wu’s life, and her personal life, emphasizing her ability to maintain the meaningful friendships she has formed amidst extracurricular whirlwinds. Upper CJ Smith, who serves as a Managing Editor of MATTER magazine, expressed how this aspect of Wu, in addition to her high standard of a work ethic made her a true role model. “From the initial point I met her, I knew she was a very hard worker. She was always very focused, always kind of running from thing to thing, really trying to get a lot of stuff done, but at the same time, she always made time for the people in her life, and I think I naturally started looking up to her as a way on how I could balance my own academic life, and my personal and social life,” Smith continued, “She really manages both her time and her personality very well at Exeter—she’s able to accomplish so much while also making time for the people in her life, and making sure they feel valued and cared by her, which is definitely not easy to do. I really admire her for that and I’m pretty amazed at how she’s able to manage that so well.”

A. Zhang recalled a moment when she felt this care firsthand, and spoke about how it has impacted their growth together these past years. “One time I was telling her, that she’s really someone that I admire a lot as a person, and I remember she said something like, ‘For her, my existence around her makes her want to be a better person.’ But I think I could say that about her as well, and make that my message to her.” She continued, “I think ever since becoming friends with her, she’s really helped me become a better person. I really like having her in my life, and I think in all areas she inspires me. I think her work ethic is something to really admire, and she definitely keeps me accountable. I think just in general as a friend, I also want to be a better person when she’s around.”

Zhang additionally spoke about how she has seen Wu’s growth not only as a close friend, but also even in her interests, within the classroom. “Recently she’s been really into the religion courses and it’s really nice to hear her talk about that kind of stuff. I think it’s definitely changed her a lot as a person.”

Wu confirmed A. Zhang’s observations and expressed her ever-growing interest in philosophy, which had been cultivated by Exeter’s religion course offerings. “I’ve quite simply loved the upper-level religion classes at Exeter, especially Philosophy and Existentialism, because reading about all of the different philosophers and famous thinkers has helped expand my worldview of different attitudes towards approaching life. Whether it’s about how we live our day-to-day lives, what the purpose of our lives or careers are as students, or what we’re actually doing here on earth,  I think it’s just cool to think about the deep questions, and have deep, meaningful conversations with people who are just as curious.”

As she approached her last moments at the Academy, Wu reflected on her observations of her fellow graduating seniors. She recalled an image from just a couple of days prior, that encapsulated the winding-down experience of seniors in their months before graduation. “I don’t remember if it was breakfast, lunch or dinner, but I just call seeing some class of 2023 seniors sitting at a table, chatting, not doing any work, not doing homework, not typing some essay or typing up college apps. It was just a table of seniors sitting together and just chatting about each other’s lives, making plans for the rest of the day, and things like that.” She added, “It’s also something that I do with my friend group these days, but I’ve really been able to enjoy the more simple, and slowed-down aspects of Exeter where you’re really able to connect with the people around you, and not have everything else that’s always on your mind be affecting you or influencing you. Just these moments of connecting with people on very ‘human’ aspects, maybe, have been special.”

The utilization of Exeter’s sea of resources and accessible adults, was an aspect that Wu reflected on. She wished that she had realized this importance of connecting, be it class teachers or advisors, earlier in her Exeter career. “I’m sure I would have been able to just talk with so many of my teachers about my life outside of the class context. I think there’s always a sort of norm at Exeter that says you have to separate your academic life with your own personal life, and when you go to class, you have to turn on some sort of switch and be like, ‘Okay, I need to lock in. I have to do my work.’ But I think recognizing, again, those ‘human’ aspects at Exeter is a really important value.”

One adult who has taken on this role for Wu, as a bridge between both her academic and personal life, has been her advisor, Instructor in Science Anne Rankin. “Throughout the past four years, Ms. Rankin’s always been someone who’s really, really supported me.” She recalled “I remember one time I was having just a really terrible day, my mentality was not okay, and I went to her classroom. There, I really just broke down crying. I didn’t even say anything. I was just crying nonstop for 10 or 15 minutes and she went to my teacher and let her know, telling her ‘Catherine’s with me, could you give her some time or allow her to retake this test?’ She’s just been a very motherly figure to me.” 

Though Rankin similarly spoke on their mentor-mentee relationship, she equally lauded Wu, and described her not only as an advisee she had seen grow over the years, but also a beacon of inspiration.

Rankin struggled to distill Wu’s personality into one word: “To describe Catherine, I mean, mature and kind are definitely on the list, but I’m hunting for another word that I’m just going to take a second to think through. I think ‘adaptable’ is a word I would use for her, to mean that she can respond in a productive way to the situation that she’s put in, and she’s not sort of thrown off track by something that happens to her. She knows where she’s headed and she can stay the course, but she can also course correct to respond to what’s happening around her, and she can read emotions and respond accordingly when she’s in a group setting.” 

Rankin continued, and detailed how Wu’s strong work ethic and spirit of collaboration work hand-in-hand seamlessly. She accounted the time when Wu was a student in one of her classes, “One thing I really remember from when I had her as a student, was that she was really willing to do the work on her own, and then she was willing to come to class and think about the answers she had gotten on her own and look right, look left, chat with people, listen to the conversation and adjust her own understanding of it. And so, I think she has that sort of dual ability, of being able to sit with something hard by yourself and really puzzle on it and come to one level of understanding on something and then bring that into the group, share it willingly, and then adjust it based on what happens in that group learning environment.” She emphasized this aspect: “I think this is a strength that helps you get the most out of this place, because kids who really want to do everything on their own and can’t hear the ideas of others as well, are missing out on the whole part of a huge part of the experience. And then people who won’t do the work or don’t do the work or can’t be patient with themselves while they’re puzzling on something really hard, they’re missing out on the ability to bring some well-developed thoughts to the table.” Rankin concluded, “She can actually do both, which is pretty neat.”

Outside of the classroom, this aspect of responsibility has translated into trust and confidence within friendships. Member of the Class of 2023 Cindy Su, who was a proctor in Amen Hall when Wu was an upper, described how she feels this aspect of Wu’s. “When I look at Catherine, I feel assured,” said Su. “I feel like whatever I give her, whatever I ask her to do, whatever I tell her, whatever I need help with, or even if she asks me for help, because she’s always someone who has drive to move forward through problems, to help, and to solve, I have confidence that she will be able to solve whatever issues she’s facing.”

McGovern echoed, “I found her a lot more intimidating at first than I do now, just because I sort of looked up to her as a person. She always had a very sort of go-getter personality. She was juggling a lot of things, and kind of has a reputation on campus for being a co-head of a number of clubs,” he added, “But when you get to know her, you sort of see that there’s a method to her madness and that she’s able to be levelheaded, very calm and patient with people, and handle all of her priorities and all of her obligations in a way that’s very human.”

Additionally however, friends also did not fail to mention that along with Wu’s stabilizing presence — she also brings a strong aspect of relentless curiosity and energy.

Upper and close friend Davido Zhang recalled the two’s first formal interaction, “I first saw her in, um, the music building because we have to share the same cello locker room so then I learned that she’s in the orchestra, but the first time I actually talked to her—think it pretty much defines her as a very outgoing person,” he continued, “I was literally just sitting in Grill with my prep friends. She walked over seeing me play Clash, and was like, ‘Oh, how many trophies do you have? Can I play you in Clash?’ She then proceeded to get destroyed, though, claiming to be number one in the school.”

D. Zhang continued, speaking on how Wu’s approachability, together with her devotion to Clash Royale, could strike as a surprise. “I would say that Catherine might not seem so approachable at the beginning, but as you get to know her more, it’s very easy to find places where you connect in conversations. I think that might be just what made us good friends, even though I would say our personalities are pretty much just not the same.” He added, “I would say on one side, she’s actually a not a very serious person. I think at this school, she’s often perceived as someone who’s pretty serious about academics, and spends a lot of time just managing her sea of clubs. But in reality, especially when she has the free time, she chooses to not only sometimes spend some time just alone by herself, but also meditates by playing the cello, as well as spend time with her friends, of course.”

Equipped with her warm energy, boundless curiosity, and appreciation for some occasional “unseriousness,” Wu is poised to make a lasting impact, as she takes her final steps out of the Academy.

“Of course the dream is always to go into medicine and become a doctor and touch people’s lives, but, I dunno, I think another dream of mine is now just to become a more caring person,” said Wu. “I think a struggle for me has always been trying to balance what I want to do in life and my own priorities and tasks with that of the community and the people around me, so hopefully, in the future I’d like to grow up and be able to have those things sort of merge together, and have what’s best for me and my interests, be aligned with those of the people around me who I care about.” 

It is clear that Wu has left such an impact, marked by interlocked care and a hardworking spirt, at the community she now departs. And, as an alumnus, Chen expressed his confidence that Wu would touch her next community just as much, by simply bringing with her all that makes her herself. 

“I think all of us wish that we can leave our footprint or legacy on Exeter, and I think Catherine has definitely done so,” he affirmed. “I’m excited for her and to watch her step outside of Exeter and enter the world of college—I look forward to the moment where she becomes a world-leading scientist and can’t wait to see her solve all of our problems! Beyond all that, though, I know she’s going to bring her energetic light and caring personality to wherever she goes. As sad as it may be graduating from the Academy, I think the world could really grow and blossom with someone like Catherine.”

Sitting cross-legged on the rug on Wu’s room floor, Wu and her friends play a game of Bridge—a familiar and cherished ritual for the group. Wu rearranges her cards so that she holds eight consecutive clubs: it’s a club hand. A twinkle in her eyes as they dart between her cards and the faces of her unsuspecting friends, Wu smiles—a smile that her friends know all too well.