From color guard captain to theater historian to Executive Board co-president, Lynx Yuan (12) has done it all. Juggling sports, clubs and academics is a stressful balancing act for any student, but factoring in college applications and teachers’ recommendations often amounts to an extremely demanding high school career. 

Having gone through this experience, Yuan offers applicable advice for underclassmen.

“Don’t bite off more than you can chew,” Yuan said. “ … A lot of people automatically get into this mindset that everything they do is for college or everything they do is for a resume. … But they have to acknowledge that first of all, it’s not realistic, and second, even if they were to garner up a bunch of different accomplishments, they might not be happy doing that.”

Whether it be band, dance or theater, Yuan has been involved with the arts for the entirety of her time as a Spartan. Yuan saw a need in her community for a dance team after her freshman year, motivating her to start a color guard team at White Station.

“I established a color guard team in my tenth grade year, and I was really involved in that,” Yuan said. “From that, being exposed to color guard and being exposed to people who like dance and color guard, I saw my abilities grow. I just got more involved with dance and developed my passion and skills.”

Yuan served as co-founder, team captain and flag captain of White Station’s color guard team, giving her the chance to foster the love of dance in her peers.

“Lynx put so much effort in the color guard and really made it feel like a team,” Mandy Cassius (11) said. “I could tell that everyone enjoyed practices a lot, and of course we are going to miss Lynx’s skills with the flag and choreography.”

In the fall, Yuan will pursue a higher education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Moving over 700 miles away creates a new set of challenges and opportunities for Lynx’s future.

“I’m nervous about the huge state school aspect, but the thing about [the University of North Carolina at] Chapel Hill specifically is that I hear it’s super diverse,” Yuan said. “Because it’s kind of like a college town and the campus itself is very typical of the college experience, I already know that the campus is going to be really lively and welcoming. I’m going to be able to find my niche somehow. Even though you can feel lost in a big school, a big school also provides so many different avenues you can pursue and so many different clubs you can join. You’re bound to find something that’s meant for you.”

In addition to her numerous academic and extracurricular activities, Yuan manages to find time for her hobbies, some of which have given her the chance to branch out of her comfort zone and the confidence to express herself.

“Anime has inspired me to take more liberties with my fashion and helped me not care what other people think,” Yuan said. “ … You can be the happiest and best version of you when you experiment with your appearance and your vibe. It can be really liberating to do something really crazy or to do something that you think others might judge you for. Once you take that first step and you get over that fear, you become unstoppable.”

Through her seven years as a Spartan, Yuan has ventured into various activities, giving herself a chance to dabble in many areas and intensify her true interests, exerting extreme dedication and commitment to her chosen fields.

“I always tried something out and I just gave myself the opportunity to see if I would like it and be successful in it,” Yuan said. “For the things that I was truly passionate about, like color guard, band, and student council, I gave my all into it. If I had to be remembered by the White Station community in some way, it would be as a person who tried out a lot of different things so that I could expand my horizons. For the things that I decided to stick with, I gave my 100 percent.”