Chatting with Chris: A Day in the Life

Always spotted smiling, seeing life for the goodness that it holds, and a joy to talk with ... that's exactly who Haonian “Chris” Li is. The first-year Swordsman has started this school year with goodwill at heart and is a friend to many on campus; for those who have met him, chatting with Chris is an enjoyable experience.

Chris grew up in Nanjing, China, and attended Nanjing Foreign Language School Xianlin Campus, which serves as an elementary and middle school, for nine years (the campus is photographed to the right). During his time at the prestigious school, he learned the basics of science, Chinese, English, mathematics, psychology, and computer science. He described some of the differences he has experienced between St. Paul and Nanjing Foreign, saying, “In China we cannot bring our phones to school.” He also added, “After graduating from junior high and high school, we take exams which determine the high schools and universities we will attend in the future, and these are extremely important! Freer choice in schooling was available here in America.” He finally explained how he had traveled to the United States numerous times before finally moving here, settling down in the Santa Fe Springs/Whitter area.

Chris continued by describing what a typical day of his life would look like. He wakes up around 6:40 am and prepares for the school day, arriving on campus at 7:40, with enough time to collect his books and settle in for the upcoming hours of learning. When the bell rings, he heads to his first period of World History, learning about different democracies, the Renaissance, and other intriguing topics. He then goes over to PE, his second period, taught by Mr. Dixon. After break, he heads to English 1 for third period, where he is greeted by Ms. Gonzalez; in this class, he learns how to properly answer writing prompts and improve his overall English skills. Chris then hustles from the 100 building all the way to the 300 building for Religion taught by Mr. Lorenzo. There, he learns more about God and the famous computer coding teen saint, Carlo Acutis. During lunch, he likes to go to the counselor's office to cool off in the air conditioning. Once lunch is finished, he goes to Biology class, led by Mr. Duguma. Finally, he ends the day with Algebra 1 Honors, taught by Mr. Avina. Chris stated, “Odd block schedule is my favorite, Mondays and Wednesdays.”

After a long day at school, Chris arrives home at around 2:30 pm and completes his homework. He then takes a small break and enjoys some fruit before getting onto an online Zoom class at about 4:15 pm to strengthen his English. Once the class is finished, he prepares to go to his swim practice from 7-8:30 pm at Mt. San Antonio College, where he represents the BREA swimming team. He then makes a quick stop at Starbucks after practice, picking up his favorite latte and finally heads home around 9:20 pm. After an extensive day full of academics and athletics, Chris prepares for bed and goes to sleep, primed to do it all again the next day.

Chris also shared some deeper insights about himself. He explained how at home, he and his family speak mostly Mandarin, but still have a decent understanding of English. “Since my family is involved in international business, they do speak some English, though not particularly well.” He then told us how having access to Google Translate helps him take better notes and fully understand the material, although he writes them in English because it is how the assessments will be written. He shared that he is happy to come to St. Paul to learn more about American culture and tackle new experiences, especially in English and history. He stated that he wants to be remembered as “an interesting student who sees his life as good (which is why he is known for always smiling).” Chris dreams of attending a university on the East Coast and continuing to try new things.

Mr. Lorenzo and fellow classmate Evan Morlet spoke about how they regard Chris. Mr. Lorenzo stated, “I am very grateful that Chris is part of St. Paul and is open to trying new things. I like his gentleness and energy he brings to the classroom.” Classmate Evan said, “I like the fact that heʼs fun to hang around with, and that heʼs a great student here at St. Paul. Iʼm glad heʼs a Swordsman.”

Chris is a great student, classmate, and person overall. He has big dreams for the future and is always open to exploring the world. Before the interview with him finished, he left a meaningful piece of advice we ought to all abide by: “Try different things even if you are not good at them yet; you may never know the rewarding outcome.”