I became a pastry chef at age eight. When I placed my strawberry mint tart into the oven, I could already imagine the final product. The sticky fruit filling would be sweet yet not too sweet, balanced by the correct amount of acidity. The buttery crust that enveloped the strawberries would be flaky and airy at the same time. What actually came out of the oven was inedible. The crust, if it could even be called that, was chewy and...

I was tired. Tired of sitting in the public library after school every day. Tired of reading articles about the next teenage superstar propelling himself or herself towards greatness, while I remained stationary. As I thought about the state of my life, head slumped forward on my fist, the fragrant scent of a Starbucks coffee roused me from my daze. Andrew was entering the library; I could smell him before I could see him. A cup of espresso clutched in...

My earliest memory of second grade is one of unbelievable thirst, felt sitting alone near the front of the bus. School sapped me of moisture every day. After my third cup of water at home, I told mother of my discomfort in school. Courtesy of taking first grade in China, I could do my times tables faster than anyone else in class. But I wasn’t proud. Not at all. The other kids made fun of me after the Pledge...

In one week, I mastered the art of the handshake. Boys State was cutthroat yet collaborative, tiring yet exhilarating. We listened to speeches from big names like Senator Robert Menendez and Senator Cory Booker. However, I found my inspiration not in these rallies but in a dark auditorium. Mayor of Springfield Ziad Shehady stood in front of our small group and stressed the importance of stepping forward and reaching out to as many people as possible. I grasped his lessons...

I spend weekends next to people who talk to walls. I’m not at a mental asylum. I’m at a forensics tournament, listening to speech competitors rehearse their pieces. The debaters sitting with me are faces that I see every weekend. Over time, we’ve built a community. From our hours of research on the issues, we come to different conclusions and don’t hesitate to share and change our opinions. I’m glad my stances on issues like...