By Abby Patkin
Against the backdrop of South’s competitive atmosphere, students are typically expected to be proud of their accomplishments and choose to share them with the rest of the world.
Senior class president Emily Ho doesn’t quite fit that generalization. Applauding her humility and down-to-earth nature, her peers and teachers have voted Ho this year’s Senior Cup winner.
During her time at South, Ho participated in a wide variety of activities and extracurriculars including South Stage, Water Aid International, and Athletes Serving the Community — and yet, her friends said, she never speaks about her accomplishments.
“I think what’s funny about being nominated for Senior Cup is that I don’t feel like a perfect model student to the class and I know that I’m not,” Ho said. “There are certainly things that we all can point out about ourselves that aren’t our finest qualities.”
Read Loves’ Lessons, A Profile of Emily Ho that Jasper Barbash-Taylor Wrote For AP English Language
Teacher and mentor Mita Bhattacharya agreed that Emily’s humility is one of her finest qualities.
“She is quiet and she doesn’t advertise what she does, but she is very hardworking, and if there’s one failure, [it] is that she tends to do most of the hard work herself, and sometimes that can be overwhelming,” Bhattacharya said.
“She always comes through with [the work], but I’m sure it causes her a lot of stress. [However,] she has that responsibility and the sense of duty to get the work done and do it earnestly and well.”
Ho’s humility has taken her a long way through a high school experience she described as “mostly positive.”
Equally important to Ho’s character is her drive to accomplish everything she sets her mind to.
“I have great commitment to everything that I do, but I do so much,” Ho said. “I think I’m really just exploratory, I love learning about people and I love accepting and helping others.”
Her commitment comes in handy especially, she said, in the ballet studio, as she is a dedicated and avid dancer for Paullette’s Dance Studio in Newton.
“She’s an amazing dancer and an even better friend,” fellow dancer junior Michaela Wong said. “She’s organized, ambitious and will go out of her way for people.”
Junior Amanda Chou agreed.
“[Emily is] super poised at everything when she does a particular move,” Chou said. “Whenever I watch [her] at dance, she’s really talented. When it comes to leadership…she knows how to plan everything.”
And plan she does. As senior class president this year, Ho planned a successful prom for her classmates and has managed to steer the Class of 2013 onto its post-high school path.
“[Emily] loves planning events and loves being part of the South community,” Ho’s friend senior Elizabeth Barnett said. “Everyone knows her, and everybody loves her.”
More importantly, however, Ho has gained a reputation as a person with whom one could easily communicate and receive advice from.
“She is so so incredibly kind and funny and so ready to help me, or anyone, with anything they need,” Barnett said. “Emily puts the needs of others before her every day. People follow her lead because she makes everyone feel important in the process.”
Bhattacharya agreed. “One of her good skills is that she can interact with people without intimidating them. She’s very interpersonal, and so I think people around her feel very comfortable.”
As a student leader, Emily has consistently put her best foot forward, using her people skills and leadership qualities to engage a number of students in the South community who may have otherwise been bystanders.
“She makes everyone feel appreciated and loved,” Barnett said, “and rarely has a harsh word to say about anyone. Emily is one of the best people I have ever known.”
But for Emily, that is all in a day’s work.
“I’ve been able to get to know people and work with all types of people and I think that is something beneficial to both me and those that I get to interact with,” she said. “It makes me happy to be there with others and I am glad to be someone others can come to.”
Next year, Emily said she will continue to participate in a diverse range of clubs activities at New York University.
“I’ve found [diverse extracurriculars] absolutely necessary as a supplement to education and a supplement to core classes,” Ho said. “I hope to continue my performing and community service and continue to explore different groups and activities to continue becoming a well rounded person.”
In the meantime, however, Ho said she continues to strive for self-improvement.
“You always have a weak link to improve,” Ho said, “and while you should stand tall for your accomplishments, recognizing your weakness gives you motivation, insight, and purpose for actions.”
To underclassmen hoping to make the most out of their high school experience, Ho advises them to “explore and open doors.”
“It’s the only way to get the most out of your positive and negative life experiences,” she said. “I’ve never known exactly what I’ve wanted out of my extracurriculars or friend groups, or class selections, but because of my uncertainty, I have developed some sort of idea of what I can build up from and I have met people and had experiences that impact my life as well as many others. “
“Everything, even minute things, can be connected to one another and you can’t predict what one thing can lead you to,” Ho said.
Ho said that humility and kindness, however, are the most significant characteristics a person can have, in achieving their goals.
“Always, always stay humble and stay kind,” Ho said. “Recognize who you are, and recognize that everyone has a positive reason for you to be kind [to them] and give them a chance as a friend, work-partner, or even just an acquaintance.”
