Q: What achievements are you proudest of?
A: “I’ve been class president for two years, captain of the 'It’s Academic' team, member of Young Democrats and won second place in the California State Geography Bee before I moved here.”
Q: What are some of your outside activities?
A: “Horseback riding, football with friends, reading. I’ve volunteered thousands of hours for the Democratic Party in Washington and had a few summer jobs. I worked at a military hospital during my sophomore year."
Q: What are some of the courses you took this year?
A: “I’m taking six APs this year — European history, environmental science, literature, comparative government, AB calculus and psychology."
Q: What do you recommend for incoming freshmen?
A: “To incoming high school freshman, I would say that there’s going to be good days and there’s going to be bad ones. Resist the persistent urge to jump on a ‘conveyor belt’ to impress a college and let yourself simply be. Work hard, try different things, learn from your mistakes — you’ll always be wishing you knew before what you know now — and remember always that the truly remarkable, memorable, lasting thing about high school is the people with whom you’ll spend the next four years; your friends and family.”
<1b>— Interview by Eden Chen and Steven Chen