Samuel Li: Photography, History, and Tolkien

Samuel Li started his TPS journey from 6^th grade back in 2015 and finished at the end of high school in 2022. After graduating from TPS in 2022, Samuel went from Guangzhou, China to the College of William & Mary in Virginia. He studied a double major of economics and international relations. His hobbies include photography, playing music, and modern history. He loves going out to explore and take photos, whether it be in streets of a bustling city or hiking trails through forests. Let’s meet him!

Christi: Hello, Samuel!

Samuel: Hi, Christi and everyone who is reading this article!

Christi: I saw in your profile that you had studied at TPS for 7 years! So, from changing from an online school to physical school is there anything that surprised you or anything you had to adjust to?

Samuel: Definitely having so many people in my life! I’m always meeting more people through classes, church, and through friends, which definitely wasn’t the case back in high school, being homeschooled and all. So, I kind of had to learn how to make friends and build relationships intentionally, which is not exactly easy, but for sure rewarding. I’ve had so many amazing conversations with people I didn’t really expect!

Christi: What is the favorite place you like to go in your free time?

Samuel: There is a lake called Lake Matoaka right at the edge of campus, and there are hiking trails through the forests around it. Every so often, I would go there just so I could take a break from schoolwork. I would walk around for an hour or so and just breath in the fresh air and appreciate nature. It’s a really good reminder for me that there are things in this world that are not made of tests or grades.

Christi: Why did you choose to study economics and international relations in college?

Samuel: Having taken AP Macro and Microeconomics in high school, I felt like economics really clicked with me. A lot of its topics interest me—why people make the choices they do, why are financial and social institutions the way they are, and how they impact people’s incentives and behaviors. I was also reasonably good at economics, and a degree in economics would provide me with a skill set that is applicable in a range of different careers, so it seemed like a good choice for me!

My initial interest in International Relations started with an interest in history. Since 6^th grade, history has been one of my strongest and favorite subjects at school. As I took more classes in history, I realized that my interests are more in modern world history, less so in regional studies or the classical era. So, coming to college, I thought I was going to double major in history. However, William & Mary, where I go to school, has a really good program in international relations. It approaches international relations from an interdisciplinary perspective, combining political science with history, economics, and sociology. After having taken a couple classes, I knew it was right for me since I get to go really in depth into modern world history and see the world from many perspectives!

Christi: Interesting! This is my favorite questions to ask TPS alumnus because it is amazing to see how different things influence people’s interests.

Samuel: Yeah, my dad did an economics major in college too, and he definitely influenced my interest in economics!

Christi: I saw many beautiful pictures on your Instagram. When did you begin this hobby? What motivates your love of photography?

Samuel: I began photography with TPS actually! I took the photography class with TPS in sophomore year and really loved it. Quite a few close friends of mine are also really into photography, so they definitely influenced me quite a bit as well!

Christi: Let me share some of your photography. It’s so awesome!

Samuel: Thanks!

Christi: Who is your favorite writer? What type of literature do you like?

Samuel: Oooooohhhh good question! I would say JRR Tolkien! I just love how he’s able to build an entire world with a completed history and languages that all feels so real and earthy. This hits me more and more as I read beyond The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings and more into Middle Earth history like The Silmarillion. I love fantasy literatures!

Christi: Me too! Do you have any memorable moments in TPS?

Samuel: This was in Mrs. Crosby’s AP Calculus AB. We were doing practice problems in breakout room, and my group was done early. So, we just doodled on the whiteboard for a few minutes! It was such a good time to chill with classmates and share our love for Star Wars.

Christi: Haha, it seems we have a lot of Star Wars fans in TPS. I wonder if LOTR fans and Star Wars fans in TPS meet each other, who would win. Just kidding! Which course in TPS do you think was helpful to you?

Samuel: I would say Advanced Comp. It established a really firm foundation for college level writing, and it has been so helpful, whether in writing college applications or just papers in general.

Christi: If you could go back to high school, anything you would want to change?

Samuel: I would spend more time with family and friends and learn to cherish people and things I do have in my life instead of worrying too much about the future! Carpe diem I guess!

Christi: Thank you so much, Samuel! Interviewing you was so interesting.

Photo credit: Samuel Li