Whether she’s cheering for LGHS at a competition or leading a club meeting at lunchtime, junior Chesle Bae is a jack of all trades.
Bae is the president of two clubs: Interact and Cats Against Domestic Violence (CADV). Even though CADV is new to LGHS, the club has already begun raising money for local domestic violence (DV) shelters. In contrast, Interact, short for International Action, is an offshoot of the historic Rotary Club that hosts collection drives and volunteers at Rotary-sanctioned philanthropy events. In addition, Bae is the vice president of LGHS Key Club and the executive assistant for Division 12 West, which spans the Bay Area.
Earlier this year, Bae joined the LGHS Cheer Team. Despite her rookie status, Bae earned a spot on the award-winning competition team, to which she remarked, “I’m glad I [joined], even if it’s a lot of work.” She described feeling both “nervous and inspired” at cheer competitions, such as the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) State Cheer Invitational on Feb. 1 in Manhattan Beach, CA. Moreover, Bae has been a crucial member of the LGHS Badminton team since her freshman year. She initially decided to join the team because of her love for tennis, a sport she has played since she was 11. While Bae did not compete for LGHS as a tennis player this year, she was an assistant coach for the junior varsity team at the start of the year.
While balancing three sports, three club board positions, and seven difficult classes is not easy, Bae manages it all. Every Sunday, she goes to Los Gatos Roasting Company to do homework and study with her friends. This year, Bae is taking three science courses: AP Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, and Physics. Of these, her favorite is Anatomy and Physiology because it directly relates to her plan of becoming a nurse. “I’ve always been drawn to medicine and I always knew I wanted to be a doctor,” explained Bae. She continued, “later, I realized….the things that people say that doctors do are actually what nurses do.” In addition to her high school classes, Bae will soon enroll in certified nursing assistant (CNA) courses later this semester with the end goal of working as a nursing assistant over the summer.
In addition, Bae plays the flute in the Wind Ensemble at LGHS. She started learning flute in elementary school after her mom purchased her one and has stuck with it ever since. However, beyond perfecting scales and performing onstage, she particularly enjoys the social aspects of band. She expressed, “I’ve met so many people from different grades that feel like family.”
From leading clubs to playing music, Bae’s numerous talents empower her to succeed across a wide range of activities.
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