His feet pound the rocky, uneven surface as beads of sweat slowly trickle down to his glasses. He steadies his arms into a focused back-and-forth rocking pattern, peers into the distance, and slightly quirks his mouth upward as he anticipates the miles to come.
This is Brandon’s specialty. He is a cross-country runner, and every day after school, Brandon, now a junior at Tower Hill, makes his way to the school’s track with an infectious grin spread across his face, excited for the hours of practice ahead.
He strolls up to the field, determined to not only exude his positive attitude during the run, but to also embody it in his role as one of the team’s captains.
“I feel like what makes a good captain is someone who is vibrant and energetic, despite hard track workouts or running in the scorching heat,” Brandon said.
As a captain, Brandon leads the team from the beginning to the end of practice, his roles ranging from demonstrating the correct way to “karaoke” across a field to standing at the start line of a cross-country meet, easing the nerves of his fellow teammates. During the runs, despite the brutally swift pace, he shares amusing stories and initiates conversation, never failing to find joy in times of pain.
“Brandon is a great leader,” said Mr. Loeper-Viti, head cross-country coach. “I have never seen him complain once.”
In truth, one of the reasons why Brandon is so good at leading is his ability to empathize.
When Brandon envisions the freshman runners that he now leads, he sees a bit of himself in them.
“I was once the nervous kid who thought that he could not run fast,” Brandon recalled. “I was new to [Tower Hill] and to cross-country. I was scared of workouts. I had a new coach, someone who I had never met before.”
Brandon understands the feeling of being new and different, and this perspective fuels his endeavor to foster a safe environment welcoming to all runners through his positivity.
In spite of his seemingly endless supply of optimism, Brandon has also experienced moments of doubt, moments where he did not feel positive or equipped to lead a team. As a new runner, he had even considered quitting the sport to focus on another passion: music.
“I love music. I played the piano. I played the violin,” said Brandon. “I now play the trumpet and the saxophone.”
While Brandon’s musical passions stretched back to his childhood, he had only been running for a year at that point. The choice was clear.
However, after consideration, he realized that running and music were not conflicting, in fact, they intersected. Oftentimes, running to the beat of his favorite instrumental pieces helped him power through difficult runs. Likewise, cross-country provided him with the stamina and strength to push through hours of band practice.
Brandon hopes his positive attitude will inspire others to have an open mind, as he did.
“I want to show new runners a new side of running, one that is cheerful and enjoyable, and not just tedious work,” said Brandon.
Brandon is proof that positivity is not simply a natural trait, nor is it easy. Being optimistic does not mean life does not have challenges. In reality, the challenges Brandon has faced are what allows him to appreciate the positive aspect of everything. Positivity is a choice, and it is one that Brandon chooses every day.
Brandon Liu '25 (right) and Saahil Kattepogu '25 (left)
running at the White Clay Creek Meet
This time, as Brandon’s feet hit the ground once more and his eyes wander into the distance, he again sees the run ahead of him, but now he sees something more - he sees his future as a leader. And with that, a familiar set of dimples reappear on his face.
“The Greeks thought that enthusiasm was the greatest quality, in fact, they assigned it to the gods,” said Mr. Hoch, upper school Physics teacher and assistant cross-country coach. “Brandon has that, and he has it in spades. And for that, I admire him so much.”