Lily Leung ’26

Lily Leung ’26 is a Tower Hill lifer. 

Though her academic journey began in the school’s kindergarten classrooms, Leung now stands alongside her classmates—some of whom she has known since the beginning—and reflects on their personal progressions as graduation looms.

“We’ve grown up together,” she says. “We’ve gone through a lot of stages of life together. And then getting to high school, everyone grows into their own person. Everyone finds their interests. That’s really cool to see.” 

Leung’s academic interests include English, where she has explored specific topics, including a trauma and rememory course she took during her junior year. She had the opportunity to read a variety of books centered around Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and how the mental health condition is woven into various pieces of literature. 

She’s also developed an interest in math and science, including biology, chemistry, physics and, unexpectedly, her senior calculus course.

“I like how it’s all based on derivatives. Everything comes from derivatives and it all connects together instead of a variety of different units,” she says.  

Outside of the classroom, Leung dives into her athletic interests on the volleyball court. Her love for the sport began in fourth grade when a friend encouraged her to join a local community league. She quickly fell in love with the game. 

Since becoming a part of Tower Hill’s varsity volleyball team in eighth grade, she’s seen multiple state championship wins. And playing as the libero for the team, she’s a crucial member.

As the libero, she plays as a specialized back-row defensive player who focuses on passing, digging and leading the defense. This position is crucial for long rallies and overall team defense.

As a senior member of the team, Leung helps set an example for her younger teammates. One of their ideals as a team is practicing “servant leadership,” which means having the seniors and team captains take on responsibilities that were previously given to freshmen, like bringing water to practice and setting up the nets. By changing who is in charge of what, it allows everyone to feel included and equal on the roster. 

“It’s a really good idea we have as a team, and I think it really helps the culture,” she adds. 

The varsity team celebrated its recent big win this past fall, being named the 2025 DIAA State Champions. The win made the Hillers back-to-back state champions, and the third title in four years.

The morning following the match, the Upper School celebrated the team in its Morning Meeting with Head Coach Michael Sachs ’86 and Head of School Sarah Baker. As the team walked through the Lower and Middle School hallways, students lined the halls to cheer them on and show their school spirit. 

Winning another championship was really exciting for Leung and her teammates. Through hard work and their coach’s encouragement, they were able to stay motivated and focused under pressure. Seeing it come together and being able to celebrate it with the entire Tower Hill community was an exciting moment. 

“With it being my senior year, I was just like, leave it all out on the court and just do it for the younger people on our team and for my other senior teammates,” she says. “Coming back with a championship win with all the Lower and Middle Schoolers lined up clapping for us was really fun. And getting to present the trophy on stage was amazing.” 

Leung’s hard work on and off the court at Tower Hill has paid off as she will be attending New York University in the fall to play volleyball. While her major is still undecided, she’s leaning toward something in the STEM field. 

Going to college in New York City is exciting for Leung, who really likes the tight-knit community feel of the campus within a large city that has so much opportunity. She says her time at Tower Hill has set the foundation for her to feel comfortable in the university setting. 

“The study habits I learned here are really helpful because I feel like I’m pretty comfortable with studying for big tests and preparing ahead of time. And I also think the rigor of the classes here will really prepare me,” she says. 

Another way Leung will stay connected to her Hiller community? Through her friendships. She and her classmates are already planning visits to each other’s campuses to stay connected even when they’re miles apart.