Biography
My name is Peter Liang, and I am a junior at Massachusetts Academy of Math and Science at WPI. I live in Hopkinton, which is known for being the starting point of the Boston Marathon. Before I moved here in 2nd grade, I lived in Texas. My family consists of my father and mother, me, and my younger brother and sister.
Music
I started playing piano in 3rd grade. I have played on
and off for a total of about five years. The music I
play consists mostly of classical, though I dabble in
jazz and soundtrack every now and then. My favorite
composer is Chopin because his music evokes so much
emotion. My favorite pianist is
Evgeny Kissin
because in my eyes, his interpretations of Chopin are
the best in the world.
In 5th grade, my school offered band so I picked up the
flute. However, I only started lessons in 10th grade, so
I'm not very good. I listen to many genres of music,
including video game soundtrack, TV soundtrack,
orchestral, EDM, classical piano, and pop.
Badminton
My parents play badminton, so they signed me up for lessons when I was 8. I played for a year and a half before “quitting.” I never thought I’d return, but in March of 2022 I started playing again and I really enjoy it. The thing that makes badminton different from other sports for me is how good it feels to play at all levels. I am quite bad at badminton, but I still have a lot of fun playing, and that will only increase as I get better.
Rubik's Cube
I got my first cube in China the summer before 4th grade. The first solve took a three-hour bus ride to complete, but the feeling of accomplishment when I solved it surpassed anything I had felt before that point in time. At that time, cubing was blowing up, so my school had a cubing club, which I joined. Since then, I have cubed on and off, more off than on. My current personal bests on 3x3 are a 7.45 single and a 9.36 average of 5. If you want to learn more about competitive cubing, check out the World Cube Association's website.
Community Service
This year, I volunteered weekly as a teacher’s assistant at Century Chinese Language School (CCLS). As a graduate of CCLS, I have not had the chance to continue my education about my culture, and this opportunity to do so has strengthened my connection to my heritage. I used to be a kid that would scream and shout every Sunday at the thought of going to Chinese school, but as I matured, I realized how important it was to have that immersion, so I tried to instill that sense of value in the students in my class.