MY EXPLORATIONS
BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING
My passion for bioengineering began as I was growing up watching science documentaries on TV. I was always interested in the ability of scientists to manipulate protein and DNA. When I came to high school, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to join my high school's Biomedical Academy. As an academy student, I am taking four years of courses focusing on forensic science, anatomy, and especially biotechnology. So far, I have learned about restriction enzymes, PCR, gel electrophoresis, and micro-pipetting skills. I also took an additional biomedical engineering course through the University of Rochester's pre-college program.
TAEKWONDO
My parents enrolled me in Taekwondo classes at just five years old. For eleven years after that, I practiced Taekwondo every week. I earned my first, second, and third degree black belts in Taekwondo in middle and high school. I also participated in several tournaments, winning gold in my division at the American Open Taekwondo Tournament. The practice of Taekwondo was always about more than just physical fitness, as my instructors and masters stressed the importance of discipline, humility, self-control, and kindness. My studio's motto was always "building a strong body, mind, and spirit".
PHOTOJOURNALISM
I joined my school's official newspaper, The Dublin Shield, in my freshman year. I started out taking photos for articles and quickly earned my spot as a staff photographer. From there, I ran for the newly created position of photography editor. The next year, I became the newspaper's first ever photography editor and led a team of student photographers, even holding a photography exhibition. In this process, I learned a lot about journalism and photography.Â
NEUROLOGY
I have always had great interest in the world of neurology and behavioral health. After joining my school's chapter of HOSA-Future Health Professionals, I chose to compete at HOSA in the category of behavioral health. Competing involved taking an intensive, 100-question knowledge-based exam in a regional round to qualify for the state competition, and then another exam as part of the California State Leadership Conference, or SLC. I was able to compete on the state level for behavioral health in both my freshman and sophomore years of high school.
WRITING AND COMMUNICATION
My interest in public speaking and writing really began to blossom in middle school, when I participated and won several awards in competitive speech and debate. Moving into high school, I decided that I loved the impromptu aspect of debate and I wanted to continue that. So, I also signed up for the HOSA competitive event called Extemporaneous Writing, in which I write impromptu essays on a secret topic related to public health. I made it to state competition in my freshman year, and was a state finalist in my sophomore year! Thanks to my position as a finalist, I was invited to attend the 2023 International Leadership Conference in Dallas, Texas.
