Sophie Lu joined the Harvard Women’s Swimming and Diving program as its team manager in Sept. 2025.
Lu arrived at Harvard in the fall of 2025 from Farragut High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, where she graduated as Valedictorian, President of Youth In Government, and Historian of Mu Alpha Theta.
While at Farragut, Lu competed for Farragut’s Science Olympiad team, winning accolades on the state and regional level and won best speaker awards at multiple conferences for the Junior State of America. During her junior year, Lu served as co-captain for Farragut High School’s swimming and diving team.
Outside of school, Lu swam competitively for Tennessee Aquatics until her junior season. She was a three-time state finalist in the 4x50 freestyle relay, three-time city champion, and a three-time state qualifier in the 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly, and 50 freestyle.
In the spring of 2025, Lu also finished her ninth and final season as a violinist for Knoxville Symphony Youth Orchestra, where she served as a student representative for two years. Additionally, in the summer after her junior year, Lu traveled to France for an international music camp, playing with acclaimed soloist Simon Zhu.
In the scientific realm, Lu has conducted wildfire research with Matthew Wang, and the two received recognition from NASA and the U.S. Air Force for their efforts. In her senior year, she was selected as one of two delegates from the state of Tennessee to participate in the United States Senate Youth Program, receiving a $10,000 scholarship and the opportunity to meet top U.S. government officials. Following her selection to the program, the Tennessee General Assembly dedicated a resolution to commend Lu’s achievement.
