I took Contemporary Issues my freshman year in high school. This course is the first that got me really interested in politics. Through this course, I learned so much more about international politics and the history behind conflicts such as the South China Sea conflict and the Arab Spring. Through this course I was able to improve my persuasive writing skills while writing about current issues like gun control. This course also just got me in the habit of keeping up with current issues and events, which has helped me to be a more well informed citizen. I believe that through this class I was able to start to form my own ideas and opinions around politics and current issues. 

I took Visual Storytelling my sophomore year in high school. Through this course I was forced to challenge my own beliefs and find my own voice on certain issues. Particularly with one essay about freedom of speech, I went into the prompt thinking that I was going to write one thing, but ended up challenging it and defending freedom of speech and expression. In writing the essay I realized that there is a slippery slope for criminalizing certain kinds of speech or expression. I also realized that although freedom of speech and expression can be used to spread a negative message, it can also be used to speak up and stand up to unfair situations. Through this essay I was able to speak about what I learned and my new opinion to the summer program at the University of Chicago. I believe that Visual Storytelling allowed me to go into new experiences with a mindset to constantly challenge my own beliefs and be open to new ideas. 

I took AP US Government and Politics my junior year in high school. This course increased my knowledge of the inner workings of the US Government, and allowed me to connect that knowledge to current issues and events. Through this class I was also able to learn more about local issues through interview my City Council member, Tyler Dos Santos Tam. This also allowed me to understand how the City Council makes decisions and what factors go into them. Overall this course allowed me to gain a solid foundation of understanding about the US government that I can use in future courses, extracurriculars, and my career.