I walked up to the house, my lesson plan securely tucked under my arm. When Mark opened the door, his jaw dropped. “What is that?” he asked incredulously. In response, I brandished a two-foot-tall model of iodine heptafluoride constructed out of pencils and masking tape. I grinned. “Are you ready to learn?” Although Mark appears to be just like any other kid I tutor, he actually has ADHD, making it hard for him to sit still and focus. I have...

“Get off the field!” The shouts of the players formed a harsh discordance. Bruised and battered, I picked myself off the ground and walked toward the sideline. I did not look forward to going to soccer tryouts for the first time. Thrust into a world where strength and agility trumped all else, I found myself constantly getting knocked on the ground. I stumbled around the field, struggling with what seemed to be second-nature for the rest of the players. The...

My kindergarten teacher stood before the class. “What do you want to be when you get older?” The response was deafening. “A doctor” one classmate announced. “The president” a more ambitious one yelled. My classmates’ shouts formed a harsh discordance. And yet, I was silent. I had no idea. Even now, I still can’t pick one interest to pursue for the rest of my life. I have too many interests: public policy, sociology, and psychology. At Northwestern SESP, I...

My kindergarten teacher stood before the class. “What do you want to be when you get older?” The response was deafening. “A doctor” one classmate announced. “The president” a more ambitious one yelled. My classmates’ shouts formed a harsh discordance. And yet, I was silent. I had no idea. Even now, I still can’t pick one interest to pursue for the rest of my life. I have too many interests: the sciences, sociology, psychology. At USC, I can pursue...