Life in high school is a different experience for everyone, with students taking different classes and participating in various extracurricular activities. Alyssa Lee demonstrates a balance between academics and fun. 

Although this school year is coming to a close, Alyssa has activities for the summer that benefit the community. She plans to volunteer with Horizons, a program taking place each summer with the purpose of helping inner-city kids continue to learn in addition to their regular school year.

When school comes back in session in the fall, Alyssa intends to continue taking part in activities clubs as a continuation of last year. Lancaster Country Day School, where she attends, offers a variety of clubs and other activities. In the fall of 2021, Alyssa took part in the school’s theater production: The Importance of Being Earnest.

 “It was definitely hard work, so it made me respect theater a lot more,” Alyssa said.

 In addition to theater, Alyssa is a part of Mini-Thon, the community service club, and BSU (black student union).

Outside of school, Alyssa has many other activities she enjoys. 

“I like to draw, paint, play guitar, play video games, and play volleyball. I’ve also started getting into gardening and learning about various plants, and I’m currently growing strawberries,” Alyssa said.

Art is one of Alyssa’s main interests. During the school year, she takes elective art courses such as ceramics and drawing; however, she still continues to draw in her free time as a hobby. 

Alyssa said, “I’m most passionate about my art; I like to draw and work with gouache, which is a type of paint. I mainly draw and paint people because it’s cool to see the art come to life. I spend a lot of time on it and enjoy being able to create freely from my head!”

In-school classes inspire learning and out-of-school goals. Taking Chinese II this year, Alyssa has improved a ton in the language.

 “The goal I made for myself," says Alyssa, "was to be able to have a full conversation with my dad in Chinese. I’ve been studying Chinese for two years now, and I’ve improved a lot since I started. My pronunciation has improved by constantly listening and imitating.”

Although the future resides uncertain, Alyssa has ideas in mind, inspired by her family and her interest in the medical field.

 “I plan on having a career in the medical field. My dad is a trauma surgeon, and he helps a lot of people. This inspired me to help others just as he does. I also find how the body works really fascinating, and I want to continue learning more about it!”