Senior 14

Vibrato rings out. Rosin dusts the air as my bow caresses the string of my cello. My hand starts to sweat as the end of my solo is reached, the other cellists begin playing simultaneously, and the song concludes in beautiful harmony. As the first cellist, I always make sure to let my section know what they’re doing right because as key as criticism is, praise is just as important. For one of our first run-throughs of the song, I’m proud that there were only minimal mistakes. My critiques mainly have to do with dynamics and intonation. However, I ensured they knew that their rhythms were all spot on and that the piece sounded good, even if it wasn’t perfect. I implement this in my other leadership roles as well. Whether in robotics, where, as the team’s Head of Design, I uplift everyone and keep them going no matter how many hardships we endure or in the National Honor Society as president, where I give pros and cons about new applicants and their applications. I also demonstrate leadership in student council and 20/20 Leadership, where I help make decisions impacting the rest of the school. I also look out for the underclassmen around me and provide them with advice and ideas when needed. I’m a realist, but I always want people to see an upside to a situation.

This shines through in the community service I do as well. Reading can teach so many valuable lessons and help someone understand a situation without ever having to experience it themselves. When I read to younger children who often come from the same background as me, I’m instilling a life skill within them, the same way my parents did when they read to my brothers and me as children. Loving to read is a gateway to loving to learn, and in my opinion, that’s one of the best passions to have.

In fact, a love for learning is one passion that has never faded throughout my life. I first really learned about psychology at our district’s gifted program called CODE. I was talking with one of my friends, and she told me how she wanted to be one when she grew up. Hearing her talk so passionately about psychology significantly piqued my interest. The next day I asked my mom to take me to the library. I checked out any books I could find that had anything to do with psychology or the brain. I read and read until I could grasp the basic principles of the human brain and learned who Sigmund Freud was. Six years later, I find that I’m still just as passionate.

In the future, I plan to continue demonstrating my leadership skills by opening up my own therapy practice and giving back to those in my community. People in my community deserve to come forward with their issues and be met with care every step of the way, regardless of their yearly income. I hope to provide the care that they deserve.