At 8:16 on a Monday morning, I walked to the front of a classroom in our new yellow school building on Valencia street, and announced to the circle of fellow fourth graders that I was changing my name… to Jupiter. I do not remember giggles or smiles, but I suspect there was a small sea of faces staring wide-eyed and confused, unsure of what to make of the 5’8” fourth grader looming in front of them. I do remember, however, the sensation...

When my college counselor asked me to close my eyes and envision my ideal college campus, I pictured rust red brick buildings and aggressively green grass, students studying and working together and learning from each other’s diverse experiences. Walking onto the Brown campus six months later, it felt like my ideal. I want to be in an environment that cultivates learning for the process, not just

In our small white house with green trim in the outer sunset of San Francisco, there were not enough bedrooms for my family of four, and I was endowed with the kitchen pantry as my bedroom. As I grew taller and taller, it became apparent that a bed could not fit in my room, so instead I slept in a wobbly old hammock nailed between the walls. When we moved eleven blocks towards the ocean Christmas of sixth grade, I...

Though my parents are strong atheists, they made the decision to send me to a Quaker middle school in the Mission. Though the SF Friends School technically provided a faith based education, it focused more on the six ideals by which Quaker’s live their lives than on any God or prayer. Through my Quaker education I was immersed in a community that thrived on the ideals of the SPICES: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality and Stewardship. On my first...

I sang with the SF Girls Chorus for 10 years, from the time I was six to the end of my junior year of high school. This past year, I was offered a paid job at the chorus as an administrative intern where I help with finances, enrolling girls in the chorus, and talk to prospective parents. I’m grateful to be able to continue being a part of an organization that has influenced me so strongly and to mold my...