Chloe is also one of the captains of the CSH Upper School speech team, President of the CSH Upper School Model UN team, and co-leader of the CSH Middle School Debate Club. She currently competes in Declamation, Extemporaneous Speaking, Original Oratory, and Model UN. Some highlights of her two year competitive speech career include:
- National semifinalist at the 2024 NCFL Grand National Tournament, placing 9th in the nation (Declamation)
- State finalist at the 2024 NYSFL State Tournament, placing 2nd in the state (Declamation)
- State semifinalist at the 2023 NYSFL State Tournament, placing 7th in the state (Declamation)
- Reaching elimination rounds at prestigious interleague tournaments such as the Princeton Classic (Extemp) and the Liberty Bell Classic at UPenn (Declamation)
why asians of nyc?
Connecting to one’s cultural and racial identity is something that many of my family members, peers, and I have had a hard time with at some point in our lives. As a lifelong attendee of predominately white schools, I’ve personally had a hard time fully embracing my Chinese-Taiwanese heritage, from being uncomfortable when speaking Mandarin and Cantonese to trying to distance myself from my family’s cultural customs, especially during my tween years. By seeking out and actively participating in conversations about Asian representations and learning to accept my culture, I've begun to bond with and gain a full understanding of my cultural background. As I’ve grown older, I’ve also learned more about the uniqueness of everyone’s relationships to their cultures and how the extent of one’s connection to it exists on a spectrum.
Through my project, Asians of NYC (@asiansof.nyc), which is inspired by the interviews conducted by Humans of NY (@humansofny), I hope to give Asian Americans in NYC, including myself, a space in which they can share their voices and experiences with their own identities, learn about other people’s journeys, and find inspiration, validation, and support from one another.
Not only have I had a bit of a rocky relationship with using my voice to connect to my culture culturally, I also struggled to find confidence in my voice in my elementary and middle school years. For years, I avoided any and all public speaking-related events possible and absolutely dreaded when I had to speak for projects and plays at school. I found myself drawn to roles where I didn't have to be in that spotlight, but it had detrimental impacts on my confidence and experiences. So when I entered high school, I decided to use that transition to have a fresh start and joined the speech and Model UN teams to address my fear. Since then, not only has my confidence and ability to express myself transformed, I've also gained crucial critical thinking skills and the ability to communicate efficiently and confidently with others.
In 2024, I aim to begin the DEVAY (Developing & Empowering Voices of Asian American Youth) program to continue this mission with Asian American youth in NYC. Through DEVAY, I hope to provide Asian American youth with the same opportunity that I had to transform their abilities and confidence through developing public speaking skills.