Jeremy Xu

Laughter rings out from a table in the Grill, where senior Jeremy Xu sits, surrounded by Exonians conversing in four different languages at once. Always at the center of any conversation, Xu can not only speak 10 different languages and create beautiful 3D art pieces from scratch but can also make those around him laugh with his glowing sense of humor.

One of Xu's unique traits is his ability to speak 10 languages. Currently, Xu can hold conversation in English, Chinese, Spanish, German, French, Russian, Korean, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish. He first began to explore foreign languages in eighth grade when using the popular language learning app, Duolingo. "While my mother was constantly screaming at me to work on my Exeter application and study for the SSAT, I would be on my phone doing the little lessons [on Duolingo]," Xu said.

However, Xu recalled disliking his first Spanish class after arriving at Exeter,. “I wasn't good at it. The first term here I think I got a B-. I never did my homework, I wasn't focused, I didn't see any use of the Spanish language in my daily life,” Xu said.

Xu’s performance improved in his prep winter Spanish class, but he was still not invested in the language. Then came the turning point. “Spring break of my freshman year, my mother took me to Chile and made me speak Spanish with the people there,” Xu said. Xu immediately observed how the people opened up to him. “Usually Americans travel and force the local people to speak in English,” Xu pointed out.

This was when Xu came to the pivotal realization that would change his perception of foreign languages for the rest of his Exeter career. “As English speakers, we take it for granted that everyone else seems to learn English. But when you speak in the native language of wherever you're traveling to, you make much deeper connections with people, and you gain a much more profound understanding of the culture,” Xu explained. “That's when I realized with each language, there's so much potential to interact with different cultures and different people…I realized I wanted to study [languages] as passionately and intensely as I could.”

Spanish Instructor Ahmed Jebari described Jeremy as not only an adept speaker but also an extraordinary student. "[Jeremy is] unprecedented at this school because he know so many languages…It’s inspiring to the other students that in the same class, here is this student who knows so much. A lot of our students just take a language because it’s a requirement, but not [Jeremy]," Jebari said.

Senior Humu Braimah is a member of Xu's club, Exeter Language Learners. "[The club] is so much fun," Braimah said. “He started it last year, and right now he's teaching us Italian. I think it’s so cool that he is able to learn a language so quickly and teach it to others.”

In addition to language, Xu is also passionate about art. Xu recalled his childhood love for Legos. “I loved Lego because it gave the opportunity to create in 3D space. There was no limit in dimension, and I could create whatever I wanted,” Xu said. Similarly, after starting art in high school, Xu realized that he didn't want to be “limited by medium or dimension.” He said, “Just like Legos, I wanted to be able to use any medium I wanted to be able to create anything that came into my head.”

Each of Xu's pieces reflect his thoughts on issues close to him. “As I've become older and found my way through Exeter, I realized the things that matter to me—the things I want to speak about. So now I love art because it gives me a medium to talk about issues and gives me a way to materialize my thoughts in physical dimensions,” Xu said.

As a co-head of Architecture Club, Xu explained that his approach towards architecture was similar to that of art—“architecture means tangibly solving problems and affecting the lives of others through art and design,” Xu said. “In architecture you're not limited; you're creating something real. It's the same line of logic, which is why the way I approach architecture is the way I approach art, and I think of both in the same way.”

Not only does Xu devote himself wholeheartedly to his passions, but he also embodies non sibi in his care for those around him.

Prep Daniel Chen felt especially welcomed by Xu in his first few weeks at Exeter. “When I first came to Exeter, I was pretty intimidated by the upperclassmen, but Jeremy was someone who actually initiated conversation with me,” Chen said. “One time, he just went upstairs to check in with all the preps and make sure everyone was doing all right.”

And despite Xu's many accomplishments,  lower Tia Reaman highlighted her love of Xu’s “ability to laugh at different things and even laugh at himself. Right when you meet [Xu], he’s already making jokes and smiling.”

Braimah, who has known Xu since prep fall, said “I feel like I’m always laughing with Jeremy.”

Xu's cousin, senior Katie Yang, noted how much Xu has changed since coming to Exeter. “Prep year he came in, and he was really immature. He was just the Jeremy that I'd known since he was 5, 6, 7 years old. But then upper and senior year, I really saw him growing into this mature, thoughtful guy who was much more serious and dedicated to his passions,” Yang said.

Xu noted his appreciation of the social atmosphere at Exeter and the ways in which it has allowed him to mature. “At public school, my friends had such a strong hierarchy and such high social expectations, but at Exeter, I feel like there's so much less of that,” Xu said. “I believe that whatever you do, this community will support you. Your friends, your teachers and the people around you will unconditionally support you. At Exeter, you can be who you are and pursue what you want, and it is unlikely that someone is going to judge you for it.”

Through this unique opportunity that Exeter’s environment creates, Xu believes that he has “learned to find what [he] loves and pursue it mercilessly, regardless of what others think,” citing this mentality as playing a central role in his accomplishments. “I'm grateful for everything: this place and the huge amount of opportunities it brings,” he said.

In response to the question of “What should I do at Exeter?” commonly posed to him by preps, Xu responded with the following: “Do what you love, and you may not know what that is. But for me, I keep on finding out things that I love and don't limit myself. That is what I have taken from Exeter.”

As Jebari said, “You just don’t meet many Jeremys in this world.”