“Americans are fat.” This insult, which I heard frequently during my six years as an expat in Germany, held no personal truth: years of rigorous Vaganova ballet training had deprived my slim frame of any hope of curves. Whether or not the statement applied to me was irrelevant; my German classmates’ message was clear: “Americans seem fat, and no evidence to the contrary will disprove my convictions.” Their stereotype of Americans felt both alienating and unfounded.      Despite this unflattering aspect...

From learning Spanish to German to French, my love affair with language knows no boundaries. At seven, I fell in love with the transcendental prose of 'Anne of Green Gables'. At twelve, I would read the dictionary in a frenzied hunt for words for my stories. At thirteen, I became bilingual at a German school. This year, I supported international students with English conversational skills. For as long as I can remember, languages have excited in me a spirit of...

Dear Future Roommate, Throughout my high school years, I have had the same core group of friends. While I will miss them, I am excited to branch out and meet new people! Many of the fond memories my parents share of their college days are hilarious and unforgettable tales of the friends they made there. I am looking forward to experiencing this new chapter in my life with you as my roommate. Even though I won't come anywhere close to...

I stumbled upon the idea of writing books in the first grade. Several classmates were showing off their construction-paper novels. Bustling with eagerness, I set out to create my own. Little did I realize, these humble booklets would inspire an ongoing fascination with the literary universe and my potential place in it. Ten years later, I am a high school senior and almost two years into the writing and editing process of my first book, a fantasy novel titled 'The...

2016: I spent several weeks camping in Yellowstone National Park. The ethereal beauty of the protected lands and ranger campfire presentations sparked my interest in AP Environmental Science. 2017: I wrote and edited a 65,000 word novel with feedback from a former New York Times editor.

I would have liked to watch from the grassy hills as the last stone of Stonehenge was erected. Was it a burial ground to honor the notable? A prehistoric solar calendar? A temple for Druidic religious rituals? What can these mysterious stones reveal about their builders' lives, beliefs, and values?

A research-project demonstrated that a lack of education lies at the root of most global issues. Voting choices would be better informed, cycles of poverty reversed, climate change contributing factors minimized, and infant mortality rates diminished with improved access to education. Education is the most sustainable form of economic aid.

Reading! Not only is it downright enjoyable, but I have found it to be the most effective training for an aspiring author. It introduces me to various styles and dynamic diction to integrate into my own writing.

It may be controversial, but I'm sort of a Swiftie. I also enjoy listening to Freakonomics podcasts with my dad. In terms of reading, I prefer classics (my favorite is Anne of Green Gables and I'm currently reading Moby Dick), and ANY book by Roald Dahl.

At age seven, a diabetes diagnosis cast my future into uncertainty. There were many aspects of my life I could no longer control, from daily injections to the carbohydrate counting on which my life depended. For many years, I avoided any involvement in diabetes camps and events. Living in denial of my condition felt safer than accepting a role in a community I had never chosen. Recently, my AP Psychology teacher challenged us to create art that represented the color...