It wasn’t originally her plan, but now looking back, Cathleen Lu sees it only as a blessing.

“It helped me find this other part of me. I don’t regret coming here,” Lu said.

What You Need To Know

  • Cathleen Lu found herself at a school that was not her first choice but it ended up being exactly where she needed to be. Four years later that much is clear

  • After being introduced to badminton, Lu took too it passionately. She spend many Saturday's training all day

  • Lu has captained her team to two division titles and hopes to leave behind a legacy of helping everyone feel comfortable and powerful on the court

The Queens High School for Language Studies wasn’t Lu’s first pick. It wasn’t even her second pick. And badminton wasn’t on the radar. Things quickly changed.

“Badminton is empowering,” she said with a florish of her racket and a smash.

An invite to pick up a racket brought the athlete's attention to the game and she was hooked.

“I wanted to find my own confidence because when I was in middle school I was more introverted and I was kind of insecure back then. When I’m on that court, I didn’t really have to care about other people’s opinions,” Lu said.

Not only did Lu find her inner strength, as captain, she helps her teammates do the same. Whether they’ve played the sport for years or are brand new to the game.

“She gets so much joy in helping others and seeing others improve,” said Jeffery Ku, the badminton coach and ping-pong coach.

“I also want to boost their confidence because I believe I’ll be able to help them in some way by maybe translating for them,” Lu said.

Lu speaks Mandarin, Fuzhounese – a Chinese dialect – and Cantonese, just another gift that helps her connect with her teammates while they help her connect with her heritage.

“In middle school I was in a really white dominated community, so coming here I really got to learn my own culture,” Lu said.

This senior’s drive has helped lead the Red Devils to two badminton division titles. And Lu’s skills don’t stop there. She also plays varsity ping pong and bowling, all while balancing multiple advanced placement courses and volunteer work. Lu is part of the Asian Americans For Equality Club where she learns career and leadership training among her peers.

Lu will attend Northwestern University in the fall to study business – and has no plans of putting down her racket. Knowing the confidence and community she found on the court will only help her grow in this next chapter of life.