On the first Sunday of every month, I skip over to the Baskin-Robbins around the corner. My black hair flows in the wind as I joyously hum Here Comes the Sun. When I enter the ice cream shop, the ding of the bell soothes me while slightly jolting the store clerk behind the tubs of chocolate and milk. With a jump and a glowing smile, I order the same thing as always: "One scoop of vanilla with rainbow sprinkles, please." ...

There’s a feeling of euphoria that is irreplaceable. Some get it from making the winning touchdown. Others get it from performing their symphony. Meanwhile, the program I wrote runs on the terminal, and I wait anxiously, hoping that I successfully debugged my code. 3... 2... 1... Let the euphoria begin. As someone who loves solving riddles and problems, coding gives me a rush. I love thinking logically and building algorithms one step at a time. Coding is my own puzzle: by fitting...

When I was first introduced to the Locksmith, Key Club’s newsletter, it was not living up to its potential. It was published sporadically with an unappealing format and text copied-and-pasted directly from emails. I envisioned the Locksmith as a strong voice to spread the great work of the volunteers at the Key Club. Therefore, I decided to make a difference by revitalizing the Locksmith. At the end of my sophomore year, I became the Locksmith Director. I immediately created...

Every year, NYU’s GSTEM selects high school girls to conduct research with experienced scientists. Last summer, I was one of the fortunate few that were awarded the Winston Data Analytics Scholarship to attend this program. I worked with Dr. Rob Barton to build a data model predicting housing prices with machine learning algorithms. Because I knew so little about data science, I went into the program a bit nervous but excited. I immediately enrolled in a machine learning course...

"Next up will be Tiffany Chen presenting her first exhibit." I nervously walk up with my exhibit in hand, anxious to present the electronic leaf that changes color depending on the season. As I look down at the exhibit, I remember why I wanted to create it for the Museum of Natural History. As a kid, I fell in love with the beautiful fall foliage. However, whenever I asked about the reason behind the leaves’ color change, I always got...

I’m no Michelle Kwan, but I can manage well enough on the ice. Every winter, I find myself at an ice rink. Once the blades on my feet hit the slippery surface, I find my balance, skating slowly and sensing the environment around me. The stresses of my daily life fade as I listen to the cutting of the ice and the flow of the breeze. I glide away, free. Off the ice, I still search for balance between...

I love the country. Many are shocked when they first hear this. How can a girl from New York City appreciate the country life when there’s the hustle and bustle of the city? However, there's no denying it: between being a city person or a country person, I would rather be a country person. I think I was bound to be this way. For most of my life, I have lived in the suburbs. I lived in the meadows...

My Chinese name is Tianyu. It means "happy every day." My parents named me that because they wanted me to grow up happy. It's such a simple wish. Who doesn't want to be happy for the rest of their life? As I grew older, however, I realized that being happy every day is easier said than done. We live in a world full of pressures—pressures to fit in with friends, pressures to excel academically, pressures to do more than...

I enjoy writing stories, particularly the creative process that allows my imagination to fly. With a stroke of my pen or a touch on my keyboard, various characters come to life: a teenage spy at an international summer camp, a girl with a pizza-shaped head, or a boy living in dystopian Seattle. Although the stories may sound outlandish, the themes and plotlines reflect the trials and tribulations of myself, the people around me, and the society that we live in....

After developing a data model that predicts housing prices using machine learning algorithms, I sighed as I submitted it to the Kaggle Zillow Price competition. Admittedly, I was scared: this was the first time I used complex modeling techniques and competed against accomplished data scientists. I waited a few anxious seconds before my placement popped onto the computer. I was ranked 1,583rd place out of 1,700 competitors. I looked at the computer screen, disappointment rimming in my eyes. I had worked...

When I was first introduced to the Locksmith, Key Club’s newsletter, it was not living up to its potential. It was published sporadically with an unappealing format and text copied and pasted directly from emails. I envisioned the Locksmith as a strong voice to spread the great work of the volunteers at the Key Club. Wanting to make a difference, I decided to revitalize the Locksmith. At the end of my sophomore year, I became the Locksmith Director. I...

As someone who loves solving problems, coding gives me a rush. Coding is my own puzzle: by fitting together the right lines and functions, I can create a beautiful picture. With so much power at my fingertips, I am able to design anything, using my creative and analytical abilities. I hope to continue my technological journey at MIT’s EECS program, building a solid foundation in both the theoretical and practical aspects of computer science. I especially desire to work...