MICHAEL '22 AND HANNAH '23

Michael Yang
Hometown: Windsor, California/Beijing, China

Q. What is your favorite thing about going to Brewster with your younger sister?

A. My favorite thing about going to the same school as my younger sister is that I get to see her quite often. I was here alone during my freshman year, and I missed her a lot, but with her on campus, it gets rid of the concerns I have as an older brother. Another part that I quite enjoy is the competition. My sister is a hard worker, and I love seeing her do great at school. Her performance gives me the motivation to work harder as well. I enjoy the feeling of being a role model.

Q. What was it like adjusting to Brewster as a new student? Was there someone who made your adjustment easier?

A. Adjusting to the Brewster community wasn't difficult for me. When I came in, I found out that all the freshman boys were living in the same dorm, so we quickly got along with each other and bonded together. Among the floor of 20 freshmen, I want to thank Michael Bilodeau and Ezra Colcord. Michael, who has been my roommate for three years, was one of the first people I met when I moved in. I was surprised to see that two Michaels were rooming together, but because of our name, we naturally felt close. Forming a close relationship with him really boosted my confidence. On the other hand, Ezra was the heart of the freshman boys. He was friends with everybody and knew all of us well. He naturally carried outstanding leadership characteristics, and all the boys looked up to him. He helped everyone fit in and feel welcomed, and I was one of them.

Q. How often do you see your sister?

A. I see my sister about 2-3 times a day. Because of our schedules, we don't see each other that often, but we still get to meet up. I like not being with my sister 24/7 because that reduces the possibility of having arguments all the time. Instead, when we see each other, we enjoy that moment instead of yelling at each other.

Q. What has been your favorite class and why?

A. My favorite class at Brewster was chemistry. Because I had studied with some grad students at a university beforehand, I had some basic knowledge about chemistry and science before stepping into the classroom, yet I still learned a lot. Mr. Owen was a teacher that I respected and loved. His teaching style made sure that everybody developed their understanding, and his ways of taking notes kept the class focused on the material instead of the words. Because of that, I was able to pick up things very fast and remember them. I loved the class. Homework challenged me, but didn't stress me out. The experiments were very interesting, and the concepts behind everything we did in class were things that I got hooked on. 

Q. What is something new you've tried since being at Brewster? 

A. Something new I've tried here is lacrosse. Before coming to Brewster, I didn't even know what lacrosse was, but once I learned how strong our athletic programs were, I wanted to try it out. However, because I wanted to focus on soccer, I didn't play my freshman or sophomore year, but Coach Gray convinced me to play my junior year as a goalie. Because I was a goalie in soccer as well, it didn't take me long to fit into the position. With a bunch of my friends on the team, we had great chemistry and had great games. Trying a new sport was definitely worth it.

Hannah Yang