Christy Lau '21

Christy Lau '21 is many things — and Yale University-bound squash phenomenon not the least of those things — but what she should, perhaps, most be known as is courageous. Lau arrived at Brooks from Hong Kong four years ago. She explains that a family friend, Samuel Chu '80, first told her about and encouraged her to go to Brooks, and Chu's suggestion stuck. "I don't know why, but I wanted to give it a try," Lau says. "So, I gave it a go, and I ended up going to Brooks."

(From the Spring 2021 Bulletin)

Lau makes it sound easy, but her transition to Brooks required a lot of thought. Lau considered her options and had dinner in Hong Kong with a group of Brooksians that included Alissa Wong '19 and Doris Wong '19. "They told me about Brooks," Lau recalls. "They said that it was so fun at Brooks, that the people were really nice and that you could try a lot of different things. So I thought, okay, maybe I'll try it." This is where the courage part comes in.

"I didn't know anything about Brooks or America," she says. "I had never been to America before. The first time I was in America was the August right before my third-form year." When Lau finally arrived on campus, she faced a language barrier that she calls "terrifying. I spoke only Cantonese. I had been taught in English, so my reading and my writing skills were fine, but not my speaking skills." Lau calls herself a shy person, and explains that even the new student orientation activities, which are meant to help the newest Brooksians feel welcome and make friends, were difficult for her.

At first, Lau relied on other Cantonese-speaking students. "I forced Doris Wong to speak Cantonese with me," Lau says. "Doris helped me a lot." Lau also found familiarity in squash, and quickly found friends in her teammates. "It was good that I play squash," she says. "That helped me to know some of the other students." Lau speaks particularly fondly of Vicky Haghighi '19. "Vicky helped me out a lot," Lau says, "and then, after my first semester, Brooks felt more comfortable for me."

"During her first year at Brooks, Christy's teammates were very welcoming, and Christy forged a strong bond with her teammates," says girls 1st squash coach Kihak Nam '99. "As a co-captain during her fifth-form year, Christy spent a lot of her time helping build the team. She would often practice with players who were relatively new to the sport during the practice time and in her free time. I think this kind of leadership contributed to helping young players feel at ease and helped them grow as more competitive squash players. For this kind of contribution, I awarded Christy with the Coaches Award two years in a row."

Lau, extremely modestly, notes that she is "kind of good at squash," and explains that she enjoys feeling as if she is in her element. "At Brooks, I feel good," she says. "People know I play squash, and then when I play squash with someone, we'll end up talking. It helps me." Lau says that she had only played in individual squash tournaments and not team tournaments prior to her time at Brooks: "I never thought of squash as a team sport, and I think it's really interesting to have teammates," she says. "We support each other, and when we're playing as a team I want to win more because I don't want to disappoint them. It feels like we're all in this together."

Lau supports her teammates at practice, and says she has worked with her more novice teammates on skills such as footwork and clearing from the backcourt. "I feel happy when they get better; I feel like part of the community," she says. "Everyone is so nice, and I just want them to get better and love squash."

This year, Lau is studying virtually in Hong Kong. She's had difficulty finding court time because of ongoing COVID-19 restrictions. She was able to resume playing in February, and she's trying her best to keep up her game and her level of physical fitness in preparation for her next step: She will play for Yale next year. She's never visited Yale, but she chose it for the same reason she chose Brooks: She likes the people she's met. (And, she confesses, she likes Yale's signature blue.)

"I really appreciate my time at Brooks," she says. "I like being at Brooks. Brooks has made me learn a lot of new things and try a lot of new things: I've been to dances; I've been to some parties; I've learned how to play guitar. I've met people from all different countries. Brooks has made me brave."