I graduated with Honors from Westlake High School in May 2022 finishing with a 4.0 GPA (4 point scale). I undertook a rigorous curriculum t aking both Honors courses and participating in the Interbaccularatre (IB) program. I focused on engineering, history, and advanced science courses, and rounded out my scholarly pursuits with a minor focus on Jazz Theory.
In 2021, I was selected for the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP). This is a residential summer program for talented high school students that allows them to take collegiate-level courses on a university campus. This distinction is awarded to only 1% of all Georgia high school students. My time in the program was invaluable. I was on the Engineering track where I worked with teams where each member brought a different skill set with oversight from college professors and industry professionals. Dr. Joshua Viszlai has a doctorate in Quantum Computing and Hannah Carlton is a software developer for Apple. I benefited from instructors with extensive knowledge in fabrication processes and metal work. And all of these gains were encapsulated in a professional atmosphere where projects are taken from inception to fruition.
The seminal moment of that summer was when from among hundreds of competitive project proposals mine was selected. I led our team to successfully create a 3D holograph projection machine.
I started Taekwondo when I was 11. Prior to this I had been practicing ‘my’ kwondo since I was 5. As a strong proponent of the philosophy that violence should only be used for self-defense, I can appreciate that taekwondo aligns the mind, body and spirit towards the preservation of life. Philosophies such as these coupled with an insatiable desire to challenge myself has made taekwondo a way of life.
I homeschooled for much of my early life, so I was fairly new to public school when I entered the 8th grade. The 8th grade awards were my first real indication that the academic sphere was a place in which I would excel. I won eight awards, including A Honor Roll, Outstanding Performance in Social Studies, Literature and Science, Outstanding Achievement on Georgia Milestones (Physical Science and Social Studies) and the Technical Student Association award.
I captained the Sandtown Middle School Technical Student Association (TSA) drone team two years in a row. We won First Place in the state-wide G3 Drones for Good competition at Grady High School. We competed against 10-12 schools and bested them, taking home the award for G3 Drones for Good. We were honored by the Fulton County Board of Education.
When I was 13 I was invited to a summer camp to teach STEM concepts to elementary school students. I was given free reign to develop my own curriculum so I decided to incorporate my own designs and experiments to use as teaching tools. I taught concepts like the Coanda Effect, blower, and surface tension and made sure to incorporate a number of opportunities for students to participate with hands-on activities. They were particularly impressed with the air gun I created and with my original hand taser.
