SOTW: Alisha Xu
This year, The Milton Paper is launching a new series: Senior of the Week. Through it, we aim to highlight and celebrate the multitude of talents in the senior class. Each week, we will sit down with a member of the senior class for an interview, where they reflect on their time at Milton and how they’ve grown. For our first edition, we thought, who better to capture the essence of the senior class than Alisha Xu?
On campus, there is very little that Alisha does not do. She’s a two-season varsity athlete and the assistant captain of varsity girls’ squash—a sport that she began playing at Milton. Additionally, Alisha is co-head of Gardening Club, and when not getting her hands dirty, she can be found at the Sustainability Board or Asian Society meetings. Yet, in reflecting on her time at Milton, Alisha chooses not to dwell on her impressive list of accolades and extracurriculars. Instead, she focuses on how the communities she’s built have shaped her as a person. Through her Millet community and sports teams, Alisha has forged countless friendships, throwing herself wholeheartedly into all her endeavors. And, four years later, Alisha’s still trying to “enjoy every last minute” in a community she loves.
Below is a transcription from a 15-minute interview with Alisha.
What are you involved in at Milton?
For sports, I am the assistant captain of varsity girls' squash, and I also play on the varsity golf team. When I was a freshman and sophomore, I also participated in JV volleyball and Dance Concert. As for clubs, I'm a co-head of Gardening Club and this year's head of Free Period Talk. I'm also involved in Asian Society and on the Sustainability Board. Finally, I was an NSO mentor, and I am an OBK head.
What communities have really shaped who you are at Milton?
Asian Society was my first club here and was just the absolute best. I met so many incredible people, like Adrienne, who was also in Millet. She was so sweet and so nice. But I was definitely intimidated by her at first, though! My freshman volleyball season was pretty monumental. It was such a formative way to meet people that weren't in my classes or dorm. And obviously squash is too. In my childhood, I played badminton really seriously, and it was such a huge part of my life that I had to give up at Milton. But it led me to pick up squash freshman year. And I was just so lucky to make varsity and have so many amazing girls mentor me. I remember my freshman year, Katherine Risden was our captain, and she was also in Millet. She was such an icon and really took us under her wing. And since then, I feel like I've found ways to make every community meaningful. Milton is just a really nice place; it's probably why I've stayed involved with so many things because all of these smaller communities make up the place.
What has your favorite class at Milton been?
Oh my goodness, it's so hard to choose. But my sophomore year, I took Perspectives with Dr. Nurenberg, and it was one of my favorites, if not my favorite course. Dr. Nurenberg was just so personable, and he had so many insane side quests and stories that I would not have expected. We also had really fun discussions, and he brought so much energy to the class. I also really liked my Advanced Choreography half course. For our final, we choreographed a dance for the Winter Dance Concert encapsulating the female experience. It was just so beautiful and empowering to express our feelings. The whole experience of creating the dance and talking it through with such a small class really bonded us. Before this class, I grew up dancing classical ballet. But I think that Dance Concert pushed me out of my comfort zone: I was no longer confined to a singular medium of dance. It was also just so, so fun! We brought such positive excitement and energy to the whole experience—everyone was just super hype about it.
Tell me about some of the most formative moments of your Milton experience.
There are so many! Squash nationals especially stands out to me—that's where the entire team travels to Philadelphia. And I don't know how much squash actually gets done, but we're always hanging out together and exploring the city. And also, the Millet traditions have always been so special to me. We have a ceremony outside where we commemorate the seniors, and they also give us senior wills. It's just so fun to see how each senior has really shaped the underclassmen and the Millet community. And even though it's still early, I've loved senior year. I feel like I've gotten a lot more comfortable being here, and I am trying to be more present this year. I just want to enjoy every last minute, instead of focusing on things out of my control.
What advice would you give to freshmen about navigating Milton?
As an NSO mentor, I've given so much advice. All of the freshmen were asking me how to balance their grades and free time. They're so focused on that already! But, truly from the bottom of my heart, I would tell freshmen to just go out and have fun with their friends! Just go hang out outside and don't stay in your dorm! Go to the SAA events and make new friends! I would also tell them not to worry too much about school and to really connect and invest in the community at Milton.