Seniors, be prepared. As you settle into the school year, you may just find a polite invitation waiting in your inbox from a Middle School club requesting your presence and your (relative) elder wisdom. Your qualifications, should you receive this request, are going to be apparent: you found a way to successfully balance your academics and athletics. You have an aura of confidence. Your reputation, among an observant sect of Middle School, is that you never, ever give up.
The invitation, should you receive it, will come from Limitless Minds, a Middle School club run by Angelique Qu ’31, Skyer Zhang ’31, and Kaylee Li ’31. Determined to make the most of their Middle School years, they host club meetings with the support of their club advisor, Mrs. Meredith Finkelstein, that features guest speakers like Mental Performance coach Dr. Brandyn Fisher and recent grads Sasha Bauhs ’25, who shared breathing exercises for staying calm under pressure, Alexander Recce ’25, who answered questions about balancing academics and sports, and Alex Wong ’25, fielding questions from a crowded room before heading off to Harvard.
It all started with a playdate at Angelique’s house last year. “We were talking about all the clubs,” explains Kaylee, “and we just decided it would be kind of fun.” They quickly put their plan in motion, and by the beginning of the second trimester last year, they were ready. “It all just came together.”
The three friends were looking for a little extra motivation when it came to their academics and athletics. “One of the biggest challenges for us that we face is maintaining a positive mindset throughout all of our games in our sports,” says Kaylee. “The main purpose of our club is to bring student-athletes together to support each other in all the challenges that we face, and to develop strong and resilient mindsets.”
Angelique, who plays tennis, was looking to improve balancing her busy schedule. “For me, I’m working on my time management,” she explains. “If I have a lot of things to do, I ask ‘What’s most important right now?’”
Kaylee, who plays squash, tries to remind herself during a tough game that all of her hard work matters, while Skyler, who plays golf, is keenly aware of how his mindset affects his performance. “It’s less about playing against other people and more about playing against yourself and the golf course,” Skyler observes. The three of them are determined to elevate their approach. With each club meeting, they are getting closer to being, well, limitless.
Trying hard? Getting better? It may be Middle School, but this trio takes the task seriously.
“We feel like it’s really the mental challenge for our lives,” emphasizes Kaylee. “We build our minds to become limitless.” Simply put, every obstacle is really a challenge, as far as they’re concerned. They are hoping their peers will see it that way, too. “You can do anything as long as you just try.”
So. What exactly is the limitless mindset?
For starters, it’s unencumbered by overthinking, or simply meeting other people’s expectations. It’s about discovering—and trusting—your own high standards for yourself. All three recognize that overthinking might be natural, but it’s also an obstacle for growth. When someone gets caught in a web of overthinking, “they don’t really know what they want because they’re doing it to please someone else. Why else would you overthink it?” asks Angelique. “You just do something for the first time. And if it’s the way you want, keep it that way, and if you don’t, you fix it. But if you keep on thinking, ‘Oh, what will my parents say? What will my teachers say?’ then that’s more like you are trying to mold into what they think is better. But sometimes… if you just follow what you’re actually doing, it’s better. It raises your self confidence and teaches you how to work by yourself because teachers and parents, they’re not always going to be watching you every single step,” she says wisely. “In the end, you’ll be by yourself.”
It’s not a problem particular to Middle School, but given that time of life, it may be felt a little bit more deeply. “Especially for Middle School transitioning to Upper School,” observes Angelique. “Sometimes if your way of thinking is different than a majority of people, you want to mold your thinking into how they [do], but maybe that’s not how you would solve a problem. Maybe you have a different way and it gets you there all the same.”
Ultimately, though, the limitless mindset is about something more.
“We are trying to promote the idea that it’s not over until it’s over,” says Angelique optimistically. “Until the last bell rings, you’re not done. You can keep on going. You might end up losing, you might not have the result you want. But at least you will have that feeling that you tried.”
They plan to invite Dr. Fisher back to a club meeting or two this year. “And we want more seniors to come,” enthuses Angelique. “I think the meeting with Alex Wong was very motivational. A lot of kids came and asked him a lot of questions and he really took the time to answer them all. We want more seniors to come this year and do the same thing—inspire everyone.”
Did you hear that, seniors? Be prepared to impart your wisdom to a crowded club meeting of Middle Schoolers looking to become, in their own way, limitless.
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To contact the author: Sara Courtney
Photos by: Natalie Gonzalez