The trilobite perched on the shelf in an unassuming swirl of Paleozoic mystique, imprinted with the memories of tumultuous ancient seas. Nearby, a yellow-flecked, rubberized lizard flopped pathetically next to a rigid plastic tiger, whose painted eyes seemed permanently appalled at the state of the surrounding classroom. This unlikely menagerie lurked in the background of my thoughts, a fascination in its complexity and a threat in the unknown it symbolized. Every morning when I entered my 5th grade class, I...

Endless strings of seemingly incoherent words filled the screen. A mountainous pile of paperwork teetered precariously on the edge of my desk. With an interest in computer coding and a drive to create change, I had decided to code an app to consolidate resources for hunger alleviation in the state of Montana. Living in the county with the highest incidence of homelessness in my home state, I knew this idea could make an impact. I pushed through error after error,...

All my life I’ve been told my interests are too “all over the place.” “Why are you doing Alzheimer’s research when you’re a writing person?” people ask, or “Why are you coding? Are you not good at debate anymore?” Touring Brown’s campus this August, I came to understand how greatly Brown values—even encourages— diversity of interests. Tour guides Kristy, biochemistry major and self-described Renaissance woman, and Paul, philosophyphysics major and president of the bird-watching club,...

At a young age, I left behind the sky-scraping buildings of New York City for Kalispell, Montana’s, amber waves of grain (with a brief intermission in Iowa’s corn fields). Time moves slower here; anything trendy in the rest of the nation takes exactly two years to make it to Montana. But, a life more sheltered from acai bowls, cronuts, and Kardashians is far from a dull one. In the simplicity comes a beauty, an uninterrupted appreciation. Now, even...

As a dual citizen of Canada and the United States, my childhood differed from my peers in many regards. I could recite “Oh Canada!” just as well as “The Star Spangled Banner.” Having a distinctly Canadian accent made me the butt of elementary school jokes every time I apologized with a “sooh-ry.” Even today, asking to “boor-ow” a pencil in a country of “bah-rowing” makes it a 10-minute ordeal rather than a five-second favor. This distinction bred in me simultaneously...