Meet Our 2026 Dave A. Liu and Lauren Wu Scholars
Emily Irwin
Dave A. Liu and Lauren Wu Scholar
How has your cleft affected your life? How will your experience with your cleft inform your future?
Over time, I have grown more confident in who I am. Instead of viewing my cleft as something that holds me back, I see it as a part of my story that has helped shape my perspective. It has taught me that strength is not about perfection, but about perseverance and self-acceptance. My friends, true friends, have helped me see past my scar and given me a positive look on it. Now, people are more curious about it than disgusted, which probably is a maturity thing.
Looking toward the future, my experience with a cleft will continue to influence how I approach both my career and my interactions with others. As I pursue a path in architecture, I want to create spaces that are inclusive, welcoming, and thoughtfully designed for all people. My experiences have made me more aware of how environments can impact confidence, comfort, and connection.
Leila McBeath
Dave A. Liu and Lauren Wu Scholar
Tell us about a time that you displayed strong leadership skills. What lessons did you take from this experience?
I am involved in a class called ‘Point Live’ that is a combination of broadcasting, photography, videography and media. My main contribution involves taking pictures at various activities and events, both in the school system and in our community. I then edit and organize those photos to be used in things like slideshows, films, advertisements and public announcements. Most of these photos are also made available to the particular persons and individuals showcased as personal mementos and memories.
Participating in this class, stepping up and taking on ever expanding roles, has helped me grow as a person. I’ve learned the value of patience, effort, and consistency. I’ve seen that the work done behind the scenes is just as important as what’s done front and center. I realize now more than ever, that helping others doesn’t always involve something big or dramatic or showy, sometimes it’s more about taking on responsibility, being reliable, and putting forth the time and effort to do a job well. It’s about doing something for someone other than oneself.
Alex Harstad
Dave A. Liu and Lauren Wu Scholar
Tell us about a time that you displayed strong leadership skills. What lessons did you take from this experience?
To me leadership means guiding meaningful change in my community through action and example. For me leadership is about consistent smaller acts that create ripples which in turn support the bigger picture. Lasting change is built little by little, through dedication and caring.
One way I practice leadership is by volunteering with my favorite organization, Young Singers of The Palm Beaches. By performing to support scholarships for singers who otherwise could not be part of the organization, I help create opportunities for others and contribute to a larger mission. YSPB’s inclusive environment allows me and my fellow choir members to be our authentic selves, escape from stress, and, for many of us, pursue our dreams of music. As a leader in the organization I strive to foster the same sense of belonging and encouragement. I have also performed for other fundraisers for worthy organizations including Kids Cancer Foundation, School of the Arts Foundation, and Speak Up For Kids, using my voice to amplify causes that matter.
Ava Halop
Dave A. Liu and Lauren Wu Scholar
How has your cleft affected your life? How will your experience with your cleft inform your future?
During COVID-19, I was just entering seventh grade, and in that time I believe I gained valuable life skills. One being the ability to look through peoples’ online facades, which ultimately made me realize I was putting one up as well, maybe as a way of protecting myself from any mean comments or to escape from what I used to believe was a burden. Gradually, as school began to progress, COVID-19 was no more, and my friendships blossomed, I gained an understanding that I did not have to be ashamed of my appearance or scared of what people would think of me. As long as I am confident in the person I am today and recognize that my birth defect does not define me but instead inspires me. It inspires me to be more compassionate to others, help others, and understand that the experiences we go through shape us as people.
These specific memories with my cleft is exactly why in the future I want to become a psychologist with the goal of providing others with emotional support, self esteem boosts, and coping mechanisms for bullying or social anxiety. No one should ever feel that they have to hide themselves or fake a persona to be treated normally, and I refuse to let anyone feel the way I felt as a child.
Emmylou Lambert
Dave A. Liu and Lauren Wu Scholar
How has your cleft affected your life? How will your experience with your cleft inform your future?
I don’t have a very sad and negative story about my cleft experience. I grew up in a loving family and a tight-knit school where people generally accepted me and my differences didn’t matter to them. I am extremely grateful that this has been my experience and recognize that this isn’t what every child with a cleft goes through. At eight years old, my family adopted my brother, who also has a cleft lip and palate. This was a constant reminder that I wasn’t alone in having a cleft and gave me someone to go to doctor’s appointments with and spit milk out of my nose with. Because I have always been further along in my cleft journey then my little brother, I have been able to be a mentor to him. I can tell him what to expect during and after surgery and help guide him through any questions or fears that he has. I have had several surgeries over the past eighteen years. These hospital stays have brought out in me resilience and endurance. I recently had a complete nose reconstruction, fixing the interior and exterior structures of my nose. The recovery was long and painful. I had a nosebleed for eight straight days and barely slept. Knowing I could make it through a situation as tough as that has encouraged me in other, less intense challenges.
Experiencing my own struggles and walking with my brother through his adversities has greatly increased my compassion and understanding for others with clefts and is one of the reasons I am pursuing a biomedical engineering degree from Clemson University. With this degree, I hope to be able to create and improve medical devices for children with cleft lip and palate. My past experiences will greatly inform how I strive and work towards my degree. I hope to use the challenges I have faced to help ease the pain and struggles other children with clefts will encounter.