#GraduateStory | Travis Liu: From Perfect to Real: Rebuilding Myself in the Light



Hello, I'm Travis Liu. I received an Early Action offer from UNC to study Data Science and Statistics.

I would describe myself as tenacious and a music artist.



Part 01

Rethinking Perfection After Illness



In middle school, I was the student others held up as an example. I was class president and an arts festival champion, and I held a sports day record. I worked hard to appear capable at everything, believing excellence would win everyone's approval.

Then I scored 68 out of 100 on a chemistry unit exam. My teacher spoke with me privately: “I expected more from you.” I realized that activities bringing applause had absorbed my attention while I neglected subjects requiring concentrated study. The ideal image I maintained concealed those gaps.

A greater shock came a month before the Zhongkao. After PE, I suddenly felt severe pain in my left chest and struggled to breathe. A doctor diagnosed spontaneous pneumothorax and said I needed immediate surgery. As I was taken to the operating room, my only thought was what would happen to my exam.

On the fourth day after surgery, my family could not accompany me. Lying alone and watching an intravenous nutrient solution drip into my body, I felt life's vulnerability directly. Health made the scores and honors that had consumed me seem far less significant. My sense of myself changed profoundly.

In hospital, I repeatedly listened to a song about the transformation of a butterfly. Its words helped me recognize that difficult experiences could bring development. I began questioning the standards of perfection I had imposed on myself.

I adopted a new motto, “Hustle Everyday,” to express a commitment to my own development and dignity.

Part 02

Research Driven by Curiosity



At BAID, my approach to learning changed fundamentally. I began investigating questions that sincerely interested me.

In Grade 10, classmates and I entered IMMC. To investigate changes in Taihu Lake's water level, I collected ten years of monthly data and explored autoregressive models for predicting fluctuations. Incomplete data and repeated model errors made the work difficult. For two weeks, I stayed in the computer room after school every day to debug code. BAID encouraged exploration and gave me room to learn through mistakes. I discovered how satisfying learning for myself could be. Overcoming those difficulties offered lasting fulfillment and strengthened my interest in data science.

Through Pioneer Academics, I studied extremal combinatorics with a mathematics professor at UIUC and completed a paper on the Erdős–Rogers function. The program admitted fewer than ten percent of applicants. I encountered advanced mathematical ideas and experienced the process of academic research.

In a later research project led by an Oxford professor, I investigated mathematical applications in economics and analyzed economic data using MATLAB. The professor wrote a strong recommendation for me. I also completed a first-author paper forecasting China's GDP with linear regression and ARIMA models, which was accepted and published at the IIT International Conference.

Serving as an AP Microeconomics teaching assistant strengthened my knowledge and sense of responsibility. BAID's emphasis on giving students active roles created opportunities for that development.

Part 03

Data Science and Streetwear

I believe knowledge can contribute beyond the classroom through practical applications.

My interest in data analysis and consumer behavior led classmates and me to establish Samarsha, a streetwear brand informed by data. Handling design and production, then sales on Taobao, introduced me to the difficulties of running a store.



We also founded Samarsha Trendy Club, helping fellow students explore connections between consumer behavior and fashion theory. Market analysis workshops and partnerships with manufacturers in different regions supported the development of our brand.

Part 04

Aerodynamics and Accessible Design

Exploring how technology can serve society led me to further practical projects. As the business lead of our STEM Racing team, I helped us reach the national top six. My teammates and I secured sponsorship from Sunwoda and Geely Auto. Wind tunnel work and CNC machining allowed us to experience the development of a racing car from design through production, while strengthening collaboration and leadership.

Through the Future Stars Program for Accessibility and Innovation, a collaboration between our school and Tsinghua University Institute for Accessibility Development, I helped design a sanitary pad dispenser for students with visual impairments. The project taught me how technical implementation and attention to people's circumstances contribute together to good design. BAID's Experiential Course and tradition of community service encouraged that responsibility.

Part 05

Recording My Development Through Music

Academic and practical projects engage my analytical thinking, while music offers a way to express emotions.

I released an original album on NetEase Cloud Music, arranging and producing it in Cubase, and posted cover performances on WeChat Channels. From Grade 9 through Grade 12, school performances and my own compositions helped me document my development.



I also shared stories about favorite musicians on my WeChat public account, paying tribute to hip-hop culture. That interest encouraged an approach I try to follow: speak less and do more.



Part 06

Acknowledgments and the Future

BAID helped me understand myself. Looking back, seeking applause once distracted me, and illness prompted reflection. Anxiety about awards gradually gave way to absorbing interests.

I now aim to live honestly and persevere, developing as a whole person. BAID gave me time and space to work through uncertainty and understand my experiences gradually.

Thank you to my teachers, including Ms. Liang, Mrs. Hou, Mr. Dong, Ms. Li, and Ms. Tan. Alongside teaching, you were willing to sit with me and talk when I felt uncertain. Your example helped me learn how to care for others.

Thank you to my parents for your dependable support.

Beijing Academy gave me freedom to explore and support through setbacks, helping me recover and continue. I came to understand development as gradually becoming the person I hoped to be.

I will continue pursuing new opportunities with honesty and enthusiasm. “Hustle Everyday” reminds me to work toward becoming a better person. I intend to put “Better Me, Better World” into practice through my actions.