Student Spotlight~ Claire Chen & Christie Liu ('26)

Written by Nero Ho ('29) and Sophia Yu ('29)

The Write for Delight Team had the honor of interviewing Claire and Christie. 

Claire Chen ('26) and Christie Liu ('26) served as President and Vice President of Student Government (STUGO), respectively, while also taking on leadership roles at Taiwan Model United Nations (TAIMUN), where Claire served as Head of Administration.

Claire decided to run for STUGO this year because she had always wanted to contribute to making AST a better place. She first joined STUGO as Speaker of the House, then served as a representative (ambassador), and eventually became President. After attending last year's prom, Christie felt there was room for improvement and wanted to be part of the change by making STUGO events more engaging. She also believed she had the skills and capability to lead and effectively solve problems, making her well-suited for the role.

However, after taking on their roles for nearly a year, one challenge they had not anticipated was the diversity in work ethics and collaboration styles. As Christie worked with a new group of people, she realized the importance of accommodating and addressing these differences. One piece of advice they have for the next STUGO team is: “Have everything planned at least two months in advance. Mr. Cravak will be concerned if things are not planned out—it’s a good habit for everyone.” They also suggest, “Before planning, take time to get to know each other. Since it’s the first year of the executive board, the division of responsibilities may be unclear.”

Claire and Christie often had to juggle a heavy workload from TAIMUN, STUGO, and college applications. Claire shared that when facing a large workload, she follows the famous Nike slogan, “Just do it,” and avoids procrastination. Both of them emphasized the importance of managing time well by using tools such as Google Calendar and staying focused during meetings.

As their high school journey approaches its end, they reflected on what they would tell their younger selves. Christie would advise herself to establish effective study habits early in the year before things become overwhelming. She also noted that, since basketball is seasonal, it helped her recognize when to prioritize certain commitments. Claire would remind herself that it’s okay not to have everything figured out. As long as you explore your interests and put yourself out there, you are on the right path. She also emphasized not trying to fit into every friend group, but instead choosing to be with people who help you grow.

They are both extremely proud of the 2025–2026 STUGO team. Although there were some conflicts at the beginning—especially regarding the distribution of responsibilities—the team gradually learned to work well together. Claire shared that she could not have asked for a better team. Christie added that while she can be very direct and holds high expectations, she is glad the team was able to reach consensus and work together to make STUGO successful.

We wish them all the best in their college journeys and look forward to seeing what they will accomplish in the future.

－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

Write For Delight 團隊非常榮幸能採訪這兩位傑出的學生領袖~ Claire Chen（'26）與 Christie Liu（'26）不僅擔任學生會（STUGO）的正、副會長，同時也肩負台灣模擬聯合國（TAIMUN）行政總監的重要職責。談到參選初衷，Claire 表示她一直渴望透過參與學生會讓 AST 變得更好。她的旅程從 STUGO 代表開始，一路成長，最終接下會長一職。另一方面，Christie 則是在去年參加完 Prom 後，察覺到 AST 的活動仍有許多可精進之處，因此希望親自投入改變，讓活動更加吸引人。她也深信自己具備領導與解決問題的能力，能勝任這個角色。

兩位領導者在任職近一年後提到，最出乎意料的挑戰，是團隊成員之間在工作態度與合作方式上的差異。Christie 表示，在帶領新團隊的過程中，學會理解、調適並處理這些差異，是一門重要的課題。對於下一屆 STUGO 團隊，她們建議應提前兩個月開始規劃，做好充分準備。她們也提到，Ｍr. Cravak 十分重視 STUGO 的長遠規劃與發展，因此提早準備對團隊而言是良好的習慣。此外，由於執行團隊在初期分工往往較為模糊，她們建議在正式規劃前，應先花時間深入了解彼此。

在同時面對 TAIMUN、STUGO 工作以及大學申請的多重壓力下，Claire 分享她的秘訣是效法 Nike 的標語 “Just Do It”，不拖延、立即行動。兩人也一致強調，善用 Google Calendar 等工具做好時間管理，並在會議中保持專注，是提高效率的關鍵。

隨著高中生涯即將畫下句點，Christie 想對過去的自己說，應該在學習壓力增加之前，就先建立好一整年的學習節奏。她也提到，透過籃球賽季的經驗，讓她更清楚在不同階段需要聚焦的重點。Claire 則認為，即使一時之間不確定方向也沒關係，只要保持多元興趣並勇於嘗試，就能逐漸找到自己的路。她也強調，不必勉強融入每一個社交圈，而是應選擇能幫助自己成長的夥伴。

她們對 2025–2026 學年度的 STUGO 團隊感到無比自豪。儘管初期在工作分配上曾出現一些衝突，但 Claire 認為隨著時間推移，團隊的合作已趨於成熟，甚至接近完美。Christie 也坦言自己個性直率、標準較高，但她很欣慰團隊最終能達成共識，共同打造出優秀的學生會成果。

我們衷心祝福她們在大學生活一切順利，並期待她們未來持續發光發熱!

何柏翰（'29）、余亮妍（'29）撰稿