Senior of the Week: Michael Lu
Griffin Breault /The Exonian
By KAYLEE GONG, JINMIN LEE, and HENRY WISE
Whether teaching physics to other students, designing advanced math courses, composing Latin poetry, or scoring goals on the soccer field, senior Michael Lu brings drive, creativity, and kindness wherever he goes.
As a four-year senior in Ewald Dormitory and the captain of the JV soccer team, Lu supports and advises many lowerclassmen. When leading Physics and Math Club, Lu also brings his expertise and knowledge in STEM to help his peers. However, what people notice most about Lu is his humble mindset and unforgettable humor.
Lu’s close friends and teachers mentioned his caring and outstanding character. “He is thoughtful, very conscientious, and an extremely funny student as well,” said Instructor in History Aykut Kilinc, Lu’s advisor in Ewald Dormitory. “Not all students are aware that he has a very sharp, smart sense of humor. Most importantly, I would describe him as extremely caring.”
“Michael is wise,” noted senior Grant Leopold, a co-captain and fellow soccer teammate. “It’s not only his intelligence but also his emotional maturity. He is also extremely humble despite having so many achievements.”
One of Lu’s favorite subjects is mathematics, and he explores his interest by competing in tournaments and taking full advantage of Exeter’s math curriculum. Lu explained how he first found his love for math: “I was four years old when my sister taught me how to add numbers. I struggled at first but started attending math centers near my hometown in Michigan, where I met many of my friends by competing in math competitions together.”
Lu continued, “When you do math competitions, you become familiar and comfortable with manipulating numbers. That is important because having clear thinking allows you to learn anything. My favorite math elective at Exeter was Dynamical Systems (MAT690) because we discussed real-life systems and how changing one small thing alters future possibilities significantly. It was a great class with Dr. Bartkovich.”
Lu delved further into his experiences in the math department, “I want to mention Dr. Davis as an important teacher during my time at Exeter,” said Lu. “I took a multivariable calculus class for two terms with her, and I learned so much, especially with new geometric approaches to concepts.”
Lu’s love for math even extends to the literary aspects of his life. When asked what his favorite and most inspiring book was, he replied, “I enjoy math books that talk to you and teach you like a teacher. My favorite is ‘Contemporary Abstract Algebra’ by Gallian. We used it in one of the Exeter 790 classes.”
As a co-head of Physics Club, Lu competes in tournaments and helps other students learn physics. “Michael creates presentations to teach other club members,” shared upper Sebastien Sobeih, a frequent club member. “Not only does he compete in tournaments such as the F=MA physics tournament, but he also prepares students well and always seems to have a strong intuition for solving every problem. He’s always very patient with lowerclassmen, which I appreciate.”
“In Math and Physics Clubs, he is a force of reason,” said senior Bryan Chen, another co-head of Math and Physics Club. “I’ve known him for a long time—we applied to Exeter together from Michigan. He’s always been naturally curious. We hosted the AMC during the fall term, and he helped make presentations for other students. Michael is always watching out for toxic behaviors in his clubs, and you can tell he has a strong moral compass.”
“What I like about physics is making accurate models of the world,” described Lu. “As a simple example, when I throw a ball, we learn that it makes a parabola. But if you go deeper into it, you can think of the ball as orbiting the Earth, and we learned that orbits are actually ellipses. That’s what physics and science are about—having a better grasp of the world.”
Lu also pursues the Classics Diploma, learning Latin and Greek. Despite its rigor, Lu always looks in directions to push himself. “I had never interacted with Latin before coming to Exeter, but I didn’t really feel any connection with the modern languages, so I picked Latin,” recalled Lu. “My sister also took Latin, and she said it was a challenge, so I wanted to try it. It was fascinating to learn grammar in a different language, and I enjoyed learning the different styles of various authors, such as Cicero and Catullus. I appreciated how the words embedded themselves in the reader’s mind and formed a deep connection. When we had Harkness discussions in Latin class, my peers brought their own personal sides and stories, which is the beauty of poetry.”
Upper Edward Wu, who has taken Latin with Lu for over two years, reflected, “When Michael’s there, the class will not be overly serious or awkward. He has an energy that makes everyone relax and feel like they can crack jokes. When students try to write their own poetry in Latin, they often try to get every grammar concept down. However, Michael is comfortable intentionally breaking the grammatical norms to delve into the nuances of certain topics, which is worthy of respect. It’s always enjoyable to have Michael in Latin.”
Outside of the classroom, Lu also spends significant time on the soccer field, running practices as the captain of the boys’ JV soccer team and leading his team to victory. After describing a rough start to the soccer season, Lu said, “There was one game, we were down two zero at halftime, and we just shifted the formation around a little bit, and suddenly it just clicked, and we suddenly played 20 times better ever since.”
Lu connected the team’s improvement to his math experiences, “If you want to get better at something, you need to do it a lot, and that’s related to math. It’s getting familiar with the concepts of moving things around.”
As a captain, Lu motivates others, helping them become better players and people. Lower Kobi Ajene reflected on the best thing about Michael on the field: “Michael was always the player on the team that we could rely on whenever we needed. So he played a variety of positions, and we knew that regardless of the position he played, he was always gonna do what he needed to do.”
“He cares so much about everyone,” expressed Leopold. “If there was ever a question a kid had, he would happily answer it. In terms of his playing style, he really just goes in, does his job, and leaves with a smile on his face. Michael’s positive attitude both on and off the field is what makes him such an impactful and remarkable captain for the JV soccer team.”
“My most memorable moment with Michael last year was when he took a significant hit to the face but remained very strong,” reminisced Kilinc, who was also Lu’s soccer coach. “While we were waiting for the medical staff, he persevered very bravely.”
Throughout his time at Exeter, Lu has shown himself to be a bright mathematician, talented physicist, passionate Latin scholar, and compassionate leader. To conclude, Lu shared an idea he lives by: “You can do whatever you want, even though it might seem like you’re choosing between a binary decision. If things don’t go as planned, don’t stress too much.”
