Being in several clubs, taking part in the orchestra and studying for several advanced classes may be considered a challenge for most people, but for Lily Meng ’19, that is how her normal weekday goes.  

Growing up, she was encouraged and inspired by her mother, someone who she looks up to as a role model. “No dream is too hard if you work hard for it,” is a quote she recalls her mother saying to her. These words have stuck with her. 

In the meantime, she keeps busy playing the violin. She has been playing for seven years and is currently part of the West High Orchestra.

At school, Meng has joined a variety of clubs such as Speech and Debate, JETS, Knowledge Masters and UNICEF, which she helped form.

When she is not at school, Meng likes to read and write. Writing is a hobby of hers and will likely stay that way, though she hopes one day she can join the West Side Story and transition into becoming a better writer.

Another ideal job of hers would be to become a photographer and be able to take pictures from places around the world from landmarks to national parks.

“Photography is just a hobby at the moment,” she said, “Taking pictures is important to be able to relive all the memories.”

As a full-time job, she has considered becoming a doctor. Meng currently volunteers at the local hospital and has a lot of exposure to doctors and their environment.

“A job that I have considered is becoming a doctor,” she said. “I already volunteer there and I like helping people.”

Meng has made several friends as she has grown up. One is Lydia Guo ‘19, a childhood friend who she met in preschool. They were competitors for a brief amount of time, but they both stopped attending competitions and became close friends. They are in several clubs together and share some similar classes.

“When you first meet her, she is very shy and soft spoken,” Guo said. “But once you’ve known her for a long time, you realize that she is a really fun person to be around and will always make you laugh.”

Sophia Chen ‘19 met Meng in junior high and got to know her more last year when they took AP Biology together.

“She’s definitely one of my friends that I can always count on to make me laugh,” Chen said about her, “She’s super smart, funny, and a really likable person from the get go.”

Hopefully one day all of these efforts will lead to something big. Whether it is becoming a doctor, pursuing photography as a profession, joining a professional orchestra or becoming a writer, Lily Meng is all but guaranteed to have a bright future ahead of her.