“The lens I have been leaning toward is human connection rather than race and topics being politicized. It’s all about people and how you treat them and see them, ... and seeing them without a filter and bias is important.”

Christine Wu ’25

Through Her Eyes

One might easily conclude that “Through Whose Eyes?” — a permanent installation in the Richmond Art Center — was created by an outside artist. But this work came from within, and by a student no less. 

Christine Wu’s installation, comprised of multimedia artwork and video, was created for the Loomis Chaffee Global & Environmental Science Certificate program and the College-Level Art Seminar. The exhibit “explores what we see and why in conversations about race, and dives into the different ways to view and understand race from both an American perspective and a global perspective,” Christine wrote in a presentation on the project.

Visual art has long been a passion of Christine’s, as has her involvement with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. She was a president of PRISM (People Rising in Support of Multiculturalism) and PASA (Pan Asian Student Alliance).

“When it comes to talking about DEI, it should be about celebration — celebrating people and their cultures and perspectives and being respectful of everybody,” Christine says. “And be willing to listen and engage in history, no matter if it’s something uncomfortable or is something familiar because it is all about respect. ...  The lens I have been leaning toward is human connection rather than race and topics being politicized. It’s all about people and how you treat them and see them ... and seeing them without a filter and bias is important.”

Other passions for this young woman who has many are product design, innovation, and social entrepreneurship, she says. That’s why, despite the extensive work on the art installation, she also spent her last few months in the Innovation Trimester (I-Tri). I-Tri students step away from their regular classes and daily schedules in their senior spring term to offer innovative solutions to problems faced by local businesses and nonprofit organizations. 

One organization the I-Tri students worked with this year was Summit Adaptive Sports, which provides year-round outdoor sports opportunities to athletes with disabilities. Christine’s group recommended the creation of internships to help with marketing and merchandising. She says the organization impressed her. “The work they do relates to accessibility and engaging people who don’t have as much access to activities such as skiing and snowboarding,” Christine says. “To see that a nonprofit can do so much good and make an impact on a community that is not given as many resources as others is eye-opening and inspiring.”

Community was a recurring theme in Christine’s many endeavors as a Loomis Chaffee student. When she arrived at Loomis as a freshman from Hong Kong, she was at a new school in a new country, trying to find her place. Doubts crept in. “But I wanted to persist because my parents had done so much to give me this opportunity,” she says. “I’m an action-driven type of person.” So she ran for Student Council, which started her on her way to making a difference in many areas of Loomis Chaffee life.

In addition to her involvement in PRISM, PASA, Student Council, and the Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (recently renamed Center for Inclusive Excellence & Belonging), Christine was a resident assistant in the dorm as a senior and a committed participant in the Community Engagement program throughout her time on the Island. She and classmate Oscar Kong co-founded Unwired, a Community Engagement program where students visited elderly residents of Kimberly Hall South in Windsor. The goal of the program is to foster connection and understanding between generations by talking with one another and working on projects that require no technology, thus the name Unwired. “That is a generation we don’t get a lot of connection to,” Christine says. When she and Oscar started the program, Christine says she found herself “leaving the residence more grateful for what I have, more excited for the opportunities to come, and more appreciative of the uniqueness of people around me.”

This same sentiment sums up Christine’s overall experience at Loomis Chaffee. When she reflects on the last four years, she appreciates all she has learned, the people she has met and come to know, and the resilience, curiosity, and courage she has developed. 

She’s gained wisdom too. Among the pearls she’d offer to students just beginning their Loomis journeys: “Your voice is important. … No matter who you are around, it’s important to give your perspective.” Also important is a willingness to risk disappointment, she says. “If there is something you want to achieve and you know it has a purpose ... try to pursue it because in a space like Loomis there is nothing that can really go wrong if you fail.”
 

“If there is something you want to achieve and you know it has a purpose ... try to pursue it because in a space like Loomis there is nothing that can really go wrong if you fail.”

Christine Wu ’25

Quick Takes

College: University of Michigan

Clubs/activities/honors: Student Council representative; co-founder of Unwired, a Community Engagement program; a president of PRISM (People Rising in Support of Multiculturalism) and PASA (Pan Asian Student Alliance); resident assistant; Disciplinary Committee member; Hourglass and E-Mag graphics director; member of Advancing Belonging Student Working Group; Richmond Art Center curatorial assistant; Palette Collective co-founder and co-president; Asian Pop Culture Club co-leader; Street Art Club co-founder and co-president; Global & Environmental Studies Certificate; Innovation Trimester (I-Tri)

Describe yourself as a freshman and now as a senior: “Freshman me was shy, frustrated, and craving, as in I wanted something more. As a senior, “initiative- or action-driven, creative, and empathetic.”

Something you’re most proud of: “I’m open-minded, resilient, and impact-driven in terms of what I do and why I want to do it.” She says she enjoys hearing other perspectives, learning from others, encountering ideas that challenge her.

Three things you could not live without: “Family, a computer, and my passport.”

Favorite meal: An Indonesian chicken soup called Soto Ayam. “A comfort meal for sure.”

On choosing the University of Michigan: She will study art and design and also will be able to take advantage of programs in the Ross School of Business and the School of Information. The latter school’s stated goal is to combine information with technology to build a better world. “The collaboration aspect is important to me,” Christine says.