“I think Loomis has changed me. I didn’t notice it as much until my parents told me. I’m much more expressive and much more deeply into the things I love doing. Being at Loomis has helped me find who I am.” 

We recently caught up with senior Oscar Kong, whose mastery of the violin has been showcased a few times this year in the piece “Winter” from Antonio Vivaldi where Oscar has a solo in the orchestra’s rendition. The first time he played the piece before an audience, at Family Weekend, he said he felt nervous. He felt the nerves the second time, too, in a December concert, but he channeled those feelings into his music. Oscar said he learned that a little bit of stress can help him. “[‘Winter’] is so full of emotion that I just used the nerves to push the song. ... I was embracing what I was feeling.”

Oscar embraces a lot of other pursuits, too, as he is involved in many facets of campus life, is a National Merit Commended Student, enjoys cooking and baking, likes the energy of the quads, and is a plant lover who will attend the University of Pennsylvania next year and plans to study biology.    

Year: Senior

Home: Hong Kong

Clubs/activities: Plays the violin in Orchestra and Chamber Music Ensemble and received the William C. Card Junior Music Award, president of the Pelican Service Organization (PSO), co-founder of the club Unwired, resident assistant in Culbert Hall, and Founders Prize winner as a junior. Oscar and senior Christine Wu formed UnWired, whose goal is to promote bonds between senior citizens and teenagers by working on projects that require no technology, thus the club name Unwired. The club regularly visits Kimberly Hall South, a skilled nursing facility in Windsor.

On the violin: Oscar has been playing the violin since he was in first grade, starting because his brother played. “What changed for me was when I wanted to achieve certain goals, play certain pieces.” He said another breakthrough came when he started playing with other people and enjoyed the camaraderie. Lastly, he said, “music brings people together, and that’s why I like it.”

Favorite meal: A tomato and egg stir fry with rice.

Favorite snack: A Kinder Bueno chocolate bar from the Alexander Bookstore.

Favorite place on campus: “Has to be the senior quad [Grubbs Quad].” But very quickly he added, “Any of the quads, actually, because in the spring and fall they are just so lively. People are out and about hanging out, and the quads have a really good vibe. When I think of Loomis, I think of the brightness of the quads.”

A course or homework assignment that sticks out in your mind? “Freshman year English we had to make a Spotify playlist off a book we read — what songs encapsulated the sentiments of the book — and it was really interesting. I never thought of English that way, and since it was freshman year, I didn’t know what to expect. That was a good intro into English at Loomis.”

What’s something about you that people might not know? He said he likes to cook Korean and Chinese food at home and to bake. “When I was younger, I liked to make western cuisine, and now I have shifted more to Asian cuisine. And baking, my signature is brownies.”

What else would you like to accomplish as a senior? “I want to enjoy the rest of my time. ... This year I have diversified my friend group and met more people, and I want to continue to meet more before graduation. I like talking to people and hearing their stories.”

If you could meet someone past or present, who would it be? The composer and conductor John Williams. He has 26 Grammy Awards and five Academy Awards for scores for films such as Jaws, Star Wars, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. “He wrote a lot of great pieces that are immediately recognizable, and you love them. ... I’d just want to know how he comes up with them. For me, I can’t compose. I really like playing songs I’ve heard before. I think it would be a nice breakthrough for me to see how his creative process works. Maybe just sit in his studio and see how his brain works.”

Is there an experience that has changed you as a person? “I don’t think I have lived long enough to have had that experience ... but I think Loomis has changed me. I didn’t notice it as much until my parents told me. I’m much more expressive and much more deeply into the things I love doing. Being at Loomis has helped me find who I am.” But he knows self-discovery is a process. “I am only 17.”