Samantha Liu

Teach children and teenagers in San Francisco how to administer first aid, how to use an AED, and how to do CPR on adults, children, and infants. First aid topics include administering naloxone/narcan, EpiPens, applying pressure bandaging, tourniquets, creating splints, and packing the junction/wound (gunshot wounds, stab wounds, sucking chest wounds, etc.).

As vice president and co‑founder of Lick-Wilmerding’s MFAFY chapter, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free CPR and first aid education to youth, I help lead and expand our mission to make life‑saving skills accessible to all students. • Designed and taught hands‑on CPR and first aid workshops tailored to middle and high school audiences at Lick Wilmerding and nearby middle schools. • Recruited, trained, and supported a team of peers to learn these techniques. • Coordinated with school staff and local schools to host events and reach wider audiences. • Managed logistics, scheduling, and outreach to grow participation and engagement.

As a weekly volunteer in the Postpartum Mom and Baby Unit, I support both patients and healthcare staff to ensure a smooth, safe, and compassionate care environment for new families. I assist with patient discharges, act as interpretation services, tend to patient needs, prepare and turn over rooms between discharge and admissions, and help maintain cleanliness by collecting and organizing used food trays. I prepare comfort items for new mothers, such as ice packs, assemble bags, and assemble admission folders to support patients throughout their stay. I also play an active role in transportation, escorting parents to the NICU and transferring newborns to and from the nursery. To help maintain security on the floor, I check in all visitors and ensure proper access protocols are followed. This role has strengthened my ability to work collaboratively in a clinical setting, support vulnerable populations with care and empathy, and respond quickly and calmly in a fast-paced environment. Volunteering at CPMC has also deepened my interest in obstetric medicine and patient care, and it has given me a meaningful opportunity to support others during vulnerable moments.

As a volunteer for the front desk at Sutter Health’s California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), Van Ness campus, I supported front desk operations and provide customer service to patients, families, and hospital staff. In this role, I was at the hospital twice a week greeting and assisting visitors, helping them navigate the hospital, interpret and translate anything needed (medical information, patient check in, patient visitation, etc.) from English to Mandarin and vice versa, as well as answer questions to ensure they feel welcomed and supported. Through this experience, I’ve developed strong interpersonal and communication skills, strong healthcare interpretation skills, and I’ve learned how to remain calm, empathetic, and professional in a healthcare environment.

Teaching students in Chinese 1 and 3 pinyin, character reading, listening comprehension, speaking/pronunciation, strokes and stroke order, phrases, and grammar structures. Create and teach lessons and activities for Chinese 3 class. Assisting teachers by grading homework, tests, and quizzes for Chinese 1, 2, 3, 4 Honors, and 5/6 Honors courses. Assist Science teachers with lab preparation and answer keys for Biology, Chemistry, and Molecular Genetics classes. Additionally, assisting in 9th Grade Biology classes teaching students lab skills, as well as assisting with grading 9th Grade Biology tests, papers, and quizzes. Biology - 9th-12th grades Chemistry - 10th-12th grades Chinese - 9th-12th grades MoGen - 11th-12th grades

I founded and currently manage the first Mock Trial team at LWHS, as well as create and teach two curricula that led our team and my school to not only be thoroughly educated in law, public speaking, and argumentation, but also compete in the county competitions. Additionally, I created a journalism curriculum that brought one of our journalists to win SF regionals, CA states, and to the U.S. national competition (‘25-‘26). I coordinate with our faculty advisors, outside legal advisors, other schools for scrimmages, and the SF Mock Trial Directors to bring the team to a competition-ready level. I also manage club funds, do PR (club fair, Instagram, etc.), and competed as an expert witness.

Tutor peers in other grades at Lick-Wilmerding High School in Algebra 2, Algebra 2 Accelerated, Precalculus, Precalculus Honors, Calculus, 9th Grade Biology, 10th Grade Chemistry, and Chinese 1-4. Responsibilities include helping with homework, going over class notes, peer editing lab reports, aiding with conceptual understanding, and teaching Chinese character stroke order, pinyin, and grammar structures.

As a shadow host, I help welcome prospective students to Lick-Wilmerding High School by providing an authentic, student-led perspective on daily life and campus culture. I answer all questions about the school with detail, tour them through the school, and introduce our core mission.

At the local children’s Maker Fair at West Portal Elementary School, I designed and led an interactive science station for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, blending music, physics, math, and hands-on experimentation. Key Responsibilities: • Created a water xylophone using glass bottles filled at varying levels to demonstrate principles of sound waves, vibration, and pitch. • Guided children through the activity, encouraging exploration, observation, and creativity as they played and adjusted the xylophone themselves. • Adapted explanations to suit a wide age range, making scientific concepts engaging and accessible for young learners. • Fostered a fun and welcoming learning environment that sparked curiosity in STEM through music and tactile discovery.

As a Customer Service Associate at Peek-a-Boo Factory in San Francisco, an indoor playground for children ages 0–12, I provide exceptional customer service by managing front desk operations, checking in families, answering inquiries, and creating a welcoming first impression for all guests. I actively engage with children in play areas to promote safe play and ensure they feel comfortable and supported throughout their visit. My responsibilities extend to coordinating and executing birthday party events, where I decorate party rooms, manage event timelines, and collaborate closely with families to deliver memorable celebrations. I also handle catering logistics by coordinating with multiple vendors to ensure timely food delivery and proper setup for special events. Maintaining facility cleanliness and safety is a key aspect of my role, as I regularly clean bathrooms, play structures, and party rooms to ensure a hygienic environment for all guests. This position has strengthened my multitasking, communication, and problem-solving skills while teaching me to work efficiently in a fast-paced, child-focused environment.

Greet patients, assist them with checking in for their appointments, direct them around the building to appointment locations, and act as translation services from English to Mandarin.

As a soprano voice and ensemble actor in Opera Parallèle’s world-premiere chamber opera The Emissary, I contributed to a youth chorus drawn largely from Lick-Wilmerding High School’s vocal ensemble and San Francisco Girls Chorus. This production, composed by Kenji Oh with libretto by Kelley Rourke and directed by Yayoi Kambara, blends environmental storytelling with immersive community performance.

Courses: CHIN31B — Continuation of Pre-Advanced Mandarin-Bilingual

Focused Courses/Honors: Grade 9: Algebra 2 Accelerated Vocal Ensemble PPP Grade 10: Honors Precalculus Private Skills for a Public Purpose PPP • Work with local nonprofits, woodworking, engineering Rethinking Furniture • Metalworking and engineering Grade 11: Calculus Honors Biology: Molecular Genetics Honors Chinese 4 Honors English 3 Honors United States History Dance 1+2 Independent Study on Public Health PPP Advanced Placement: AP Psychology Test (Self-Study): Grade 10 AP Calculus AB Test (Self-Study): Grade 11 AP Chinese Test (Self-Study): Grade 11

Taking the online Computer Science course, CS50x. CS50x is “Harvard University’s introduction to the intellectual enterprises of computer science and the art of programming”. This course includes the programming languages Python, C, SQL, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Supplemental math courses through summer of 5th-6th grade to the end of 9th grade. Courses taken: Pre-algebra Prep Honors — 5th-6th summer Pre-algebra Honors — 6th grade Geometry I Advanced — 6th grade Algebra I Honors Prep — 6th-7th summer Geometry II Prep — 6th-7th summer Algebra I Honors — 7th grade Geometry II Honors — 7th grade Geometry III Prep — 7th-8th summer Algebra I/II Honors — 8th grade Geometry III Honors — 8th grade Trigonometry 1 — 8th-9th summer Algebra II & Intro to Precalculus Honors — 9th grade