If you were to ask someone about Brooke Xu, they will tell you about one of the kindest and most dedicated people they know. She is involved in a variety of clubs around Enloe, and her roles include serving as the president of the National Honor Society (NHS) chapter, the co-president of the French Club, the editor-in-chief of Enloe’s Literary Organization (ELO), and a board member of the Key Club, just to name a few. 

Her numerous activities extend beyond the classroom. Brooke has been a tutor for NC Virtual Public School (NCVPS), volunteered for Fiveable–an organization that provides information and resources to students for AP classes–and has taught at Triangle Writers Studio, a local nonprofit. With all these activities, chances are you’ve seen Xu at some point during the school day, and anyone who knows her well can tell you she has a radiant personality that always puts a smile on your face.

In regard to her NHS service, Brooke says, “I had big ambitions for creating more of a community within the organization where there had previously been cliques. I wanted to make a space where everyone feels safe and knows that they belong.” She encountered issues with a lack of diversity and elitism in the club and hopes that her leadership was able to create change for future club members. 

Xu also faced challenges in her role as President of the French Club, such as lower turnout and a need for new formatting following the post-pandemic return to school. Brooke has been taking French for seven years and is taking IB French her senior year, so the club and learning about the many aspects of francophone cultures is something she really cares about. She wants to share this passion with others and has worked hard to make meetings as fun for others as they are for herself.

ELO was another organization that faced struggles following COVID, and Brooke worked hard on revamping the club following the graduation of many of their editors. Xu has really enjoyed collaborating with the new team and discovering new ways of organizing the club. As for why she loves ELO, Brooke says “There are so many great artists and writers at Enloe, and it’s so amazing to be able to see all of the talent and compile the best work into a magazine.”

Although Xu has achieved a lot during her time at Enloe, she is most proud of her mindset and outlook. She decided to not focus on grades and perfection but instead wanted to learn about herself and focus on her mental health. Brooke says, “I’ve learned how to take care of myself and live a balanced life. I’ve also learned how to build good mindset habits. I’m happy that I allowed my true self to flourish rather than trying to become someone I’m not, and I definitely would have been a very different person if not for COVID and attending Enloe.”

Brooke isn’t just busy academically, she also has a variety of hobbies and activities she enjoys. She “[loves] creative writing, doing calligraphy, playing piano, cooking, and spending time outside. [She] also really [likes] to do yoga, meditation, and journal.”

 Writing is important to Xu and is something she wants to continue doing in the future. “Writing has always been a very healing process for me when there was no one I could turn to talk about uncomfortable topics like mental health, politics, etc,” she says. For Xu, writing is an integral part of communication and expression outside of processing emotions. Brooke says, “It’s important to me that I’m writing the stories that I didn’t have but wanted to read when I was a kid, especially Asian-American stories, especially sapphic stories.”

After Enloe, Xu plans on studying English or comparative literature at UNC Chapel Hill. She says that learning is one of her favorite things, and she aims to earn a Ph.D. in the future. Outside of academia, she is looking at working in the publishing industry.

While Brooke’s involvement in so many clubs at school and in activities outside of school may keep her busy, Xu tries to shape her outlook on life to keep herself positive. 

“I love to romanticize life.” Says Xu, “I know that it’s a privilege and that life isn’t easy or pretty, but it’s important to me to find the beauty and the joy in the mundane. It helps me stay grateful for all the little things, prioritize what really matters in life, as well as give me a reason to keep going, to keep hoping, to keep dreaming for a brighter future.”