Sarah Shao ’24 has spent much of the last decade on the golf course, playing a game she loves and learning many valuable life lessons along the way. The WardlaLAartridge senior took another big step in her academic and athletic career by confirming her intent to study and play golf at Columbia University. Sarah was joined by her parents, friends and LA coaches and administrators during a signing ceremony held on Jan. 18 in the Admission Conference Room.
“I’m very excited,” said Sarah, who has not decided on a major but is considering studying economics. “Throughout my golf journey I’ve seen older friends around me pursue this and I saw how much fun they had. The teammates at Columbia are all so warm and kind. I’m definitely really looking forward to it. I really like the campus and the people. I also really like the support they give student-athletes. That’s very important to me.”
Sarah’s older sister Christine, also a golf standout, graduated from Columbia in 2023. Sarah is poised to continue the family legacy both on and off the golf course in the Ivy League.
“I look up to her a lot. She’s very hard-working,” Sarah said. “I saw how the team shaped her but also how she affected the team. That’s what I want to contribute to Columbia.”
Mr. Michael Shao has enjoyed watching his daughters grow up on the golf course and appreciates how the game has shaped them. He’s confident that Sarah will continue to grow and mature as a golfer and young adult.
“It’s a journey and golf is more than technique and winning trophies,” Mr. Shao said. “Golf is about all the good traits you learn from the golf experience: time management, staying focused for 4½ hours, and how you treat your competitors, friends and teammates. We’re very confident she’s ready for the next step of the journey. She’s been doing it for the past 10 years. She just has to rely on her mindset and keep working hard.”
Sarah credits the competitive academics at LA with aiding in her preparation for college. She’s performed in the classroom, on the golf course and been active in the Asian American Pacific Islander affinity group.
“The challenging courses have allowed me to understand time management really well. That’s something everyone needs in college to balance academics, athletics and their social life,” she said. “The people I’ve met here have expanded my boundaries.”
Sarah fired an astounding 4-under-par round of 67 to win the Central Jersey sectional golf individual championship during her freshman year but her fondest LA memories have been spent celebrating team success.
“I remember the first year we won states with Grace (Lu), Jenelle (Valera), Claire (Lu) and Annie (Gu). That was the first time I was on a team and it was really rewarding to share the success with people I like,” Sarah said.
She’s continued to help the Rams dominate and win state titles ever since.
“You can’t do anything without hard work or talent, and Sarah has both of those things,” LA veteran head coach Jim Howard said. “Sarah was part of the inaugural women’s golf team at WardlaLAartridge and since Sarah has been on the team, we haven’t lost anything. The team is going to be very good again this spring and it’s never going to be the same without Sarah.”
Sarah would love to help the Rams stay on top and win another state title in her final high school season. She’s also starting to look ahead to her future and knows she needs to focus on her full swing and staying mentally strong. Sarah’s mom is confident her daughter is ready to make a successful transition to Columbia.
“I’m very proud of my daughter,” Ms. Cindy Lu said. “She’s a hard-working girl and also very dedicated. I appreciate the school’s support of her academics and the golf and the flexibility for her to play the tournaments. I’m very excited to continue my golf parent role to support her. College will be different because she’ll be very independent and I’m looking forward to seeing that.”
Sarah joins teammate Claire Lu ’24, who recently confirmed her commitment to enroll and play golf at the University of Pennsylvania as an Ivy League athlete.
“We’re super proud of Sarah and her accomplishments. She’s obviously at this very high level. Having observed how she carries herself and the hard work she puts in, there’s no doubt she’s ready for this level. She’s come here to WardlaLAartridge and had a great outcome. You can’t ask for anything better. She’s headed to an Ivy League school to play Division 1 golf. We’ve had two signing ceremonies in the last two weeks for Ivy League golfers. This is a very proud moment for me as an athletic director.”