Kids these days. It’s a common refrain with each generation. Google defines this effect as: “The incorrect belief that children in the present are substantively different and necessarily worse than children a generation or two ago.” Even Google knows that it’s a myth, but we have gone a step further and ventured out into our community to prove that kids these days are, in fact, exceptional. Well, at least ten of them are (plus a bunch more who would have made the cut if we were featuring twenty or thirty of Westport, Weston and Wilton’s finest young folks).
Staples High School, Weston High School, Wilton High School, Greens Farms Academy, Fairfield Prep, St. Luke’s, King School and Wooster School submitted their most impressive upperclassmen from our towns, and the pool is brimming and bright with: nationally ranked athletes, political prodigies, environmental stewards, award-winning artists, published writers, multilingual phenoms, school ambassadors and budding medical researchers. Each of our finalists juggles a mind-boggling schedule of academic and extracurricular activities, and every last one is a compassionate human being who proves KIDS THESE DAYS ARE AWESOME.
SARAH LAU
St. Luke’s
Sarah Lau participated in twelve varsity seasons during high school at St. Luke’s, while also volunteering as an EMT and spearheading gift drives and bake sales to benefit cancer patients. “Service has taught me so much about the world that exists around me and the way a small action can go a long way,” says Sarah, who served as the Director of Community Service for St. Luke’s Student Council.
After her father recovered from Hodgkins lymphoma in 2016, Sarah and her siblings formed the Loved Movement to support people battling cancer. Sarah plans and executes an annual blanket and gift drive for low-income patients at Yale Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center. Last year, Sarah collaborated with Eli’s Sunshine Fund and donated gifts for kids at Memorial Sloan Kettering. She took a group of her friends to shop for the patients’ wishlists. “We filled over three carts with toys, clothes, makeup sets, jewelry and more,” she says. “I loved being able to show my friends what I had worked so hard on with countless hours baking, organizing wishlists and fundraising. I loved seeing them meticulously pick out each gift and then spend hours wrapping them.”
At 16, Sarah began volunteering as an EMT for Westport’s Emergency Medical Services. “I decided to become an EMT to gain experience in the medical field. I’ve definitely gotten way more out of the experience than I expected,” she says. “I’ve learned about medicine but also about the complexity of people and human emotions.”
At St. Luke’s, Sarah played on the varsity soccer, basketball and lacrosse teams and captained the soccer and basketball teams her senior year. Her soccer team won the FAA championship and made it to NEPSAC finals twice. Her basketball team won the FAA Championship three times. She also competed nationally as point guard for CT Impact Basketball. As far as being a three-sport athlete, Sarah comments, “It was a huge time commitment each season while balancing school, work and activities but it was so worth it. Sports have always been a big thing in my family. My three older siblings all attend/attended college for sports and it has become a part of my lifestyle. I have always loved playing just about every sport.”
Sarah is as much a superstar in academics as in athletics. She won the St. Luke’s Math Award twice, was selected at St. Luke’s STEM Scholar, was a member of the Cum Laude Society and participated in Stanford’s Advanced Anesthesia Summer Institute. She is now attending UCLA as a pre-business economics major on a pre-med track.
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What is the greatest challenge you have overcome?
I struggled with being compared to my sister, who is a D1 basketball player. Coaches would be disappointed when I was not the same player she is. Eventually this caused me to lose some of my love for the sport. Students from opposing schools would chant “sister’s shadows” at me. I put so much pressure on myself to perform well and not disappoint my coaches. Ultimately, I decided not to play a sport at the college level and to try different things from my siblings, including enrolling in an EMT class and finding love for service work. That in turn allowed me to find more love for the sports I played.
What would you tell your freshman self?
Spend time doing the things I enjoy and don’t stress as much about schoolwork and college, because everything will end up working out the way it is meant to.
Which teacher had the biggest impact on you?
My freshman year math teacher and tenth/eleventh-grade advisor, Coach Fred. At first, I didn’t understand why an extra-help meeting about one question would last so long but over time I realized she truly cared about connecting with her students. She was always there for me whenever I needed help with just about anything.
Words to live by?
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou