He greets you with the rest of the Student Council crew at the beginning of each week. His classic smile dares you to have a great day. As his high school career comes to a close, we will be saying goodbye to an influential member of this community. As the president of our school, he has helped lead some of the most successful initiatives here at LHS, one of them simply being to do the right thing and just be kind to everyone. Wake up, Wildcats: it’s Cam Chen.
Student Council has been a large part of Chen’s life since elementary school. His Student Council career began all the way back in fourth grade because of a push from his mom to become more involved in his community. He eventually ran for student body president in fifth grade and earned the presidency through a class vote. Chen has been part of the Student Council body ever since.
“I felt like Student Council was somewhere I belonged, where I could really make an impact in other people’s lives, which I think is really important and I really enjoy doing,” Chen explained.
Chen is a versatile member of the Student Council Executive Board, as his jobs vary based on the season. Homecoming season is their busiest, because during this time, the Student Council crew is responsible for planning the assembly, the parade and decorating the school, while still producing their traditional Wake Up Wildcats videos.
“We noticed last year even as a junior that when [Cam] steps to the microphone at assemblies, people listen to him. He doesn’t have to shush anybody,” shared Student Council Advisor Ms. Andrea Lara. “He just kind of commands that sort of respect.”
The Student Council group is also responsible for connecting the administration and the students in a respectful manner. The group meets with the deans, the Student Activities Director, Mrs. Jennifer Uliks, and the Principal, Dr. Marina Scott, each week.
“I think being a medium between students and staff is a cool thing. It helps me be more involved in the school,” shared Chen.
The Student Council board is like a family, which is apparent through the support that they all shared for Chen when interviewed about him. When asked to describe Chen in one word, the words selected were “friend,” “golden,” and “champion.”
“I think he has tried to lead the school in a way that not only includes his friends, but includes anyone and everyone,” senior Student Council School Liaison Jordan Mitchell shared. “He always tells us he loves us.”
It is clear that if Chen could emphasize one thing at this school besides all of his Student Council work, it would be the principle of just simply being kind and inclusive. Even throughout the interview with him, he was consistently greeted by people from different grades, including various administration members, demonstrating the level of respect that he has at this school.
“I kind of just want to be seen as the nice kid who did the right thing,” stated Chen.
Chen has also been known around the school for his sense of creativity as seen by various videos that he has made for different classes, or even just for fun. His videos range from a lip-syncing video that includes his entire family during a trip to China to a rap video from freshman-year geometry that brought shapes to a whole new level.
With a mom who is a graphic designer, Chen claims that she has a lot of influence on his artistic abilities, yet everything he does is, for the most part, just for fun.
Besides Student Council, Chen is also a member of an extensive amount of clubs and organizations at the school, which is consistent with his philosophy of getting involved.
Basketball has been a large part of Chen’s life every since he was small. Chen started playing varsity basketball for LHS as a sophomore and this will be his third year on the team. As a little kid, his parents always watched the NBA because they were huge fans. He looked up to basketball role models such as Michael Jordan, Tracy McGrady and Paul Pierce.
“I love it so much, I played it in my front yard every single day and the passion just grew from there,” Chen explained.
Chen has been a huge fan of the Chicago Bulls team ever since his grandpa and dad started taking him to games when he was 4 years old. He admires Jeremy Lin, a player for the Charlotte Hornets, who was the first player of Asian descent to play in the NBA.
“Cam is always the guy you can look to,” shared varsity basketball assistant coach Mr. Richard Kolze. “He has a great ability to push through and work through adversity.”
Besides basketball, Chen is also part of track and field in the spring, where he participates in the high jump and sprinting. Along with athletics, he is a leader for the club Athletes Committed to Excellence, and a Link Crew Leader.
Despite his numerous activities, he still somehow finds time to maintain good grades in multiple AP courses.
“It’s the modesty thing. It’s the fact that he can be president and accomplish so many things in the school but still deny how good of a person he is when you compliment him; it amazes me every time,” shared senior Student Council Co-head of Broadcasting and longtime friend, Alyssa Seefeldt. “He’s just one of those people you come across in your life that gets you through the day. He’s Cam.”
