School: Benjamin Banneker Academic High School

Grade: 11

Zodiac: Leo/Year of the Horse

Interest/ Activities:

Some of my interests are sports, the arts and reading. I do frequently watch anime but I’m really into playing sports. I’ve been playing volleyball, basketball and tennis for two years in high school. My favorite sport is volleyball because I feel like it brings out the high level of intensity in me and I’m really good at it. The arts is a broad hobby of mine. I like painters like Noa Knafo and Brianna Hernandez because their art portrays a direct idea but leaves room for opinions on that idea. For example, Brianna Hernandez has done paintings which express defiance of societal beauty standards; however, the viewer can form their own opinions about if society truly values European features as the epitome of beauty. I also appreciate music from artists like Vic Mensa, Chance the Rapper and Panic at the Disco. My music style varies so I don’t really have a favorite genre of music, but I’ve recently started listening to more international artists. Reading is something that I grew up with as a child. I love reading books about anything really: astrology, dystopian fiction, fantasy, and especially history. Reading is something that didn’t really form out of habits but just grew out of my pure and natural child curiosity.

Personal Statement:

Many of my interests revolve around understanding historical processes and humanities. One reason for me taking Japanese classes is to understand Japanese history through cultural immersion. I feel that the importance of gaining global perspectives is that they are applicable across all areas of knowledge. We can never truly understand the perspectives of others, but to have engagement across all perspectives brings us closer to a higher level of understanding. The humanities aspect comes from the increased cultural interactions that I am able have through this program. Understanding leads to challenges of the social barriers that society puts against us. We must be able to understand the barriers that people face in order to push change in the status quo. I am very passionate about social justice reforms and through Japanese immersion, I can take firmer stances on issues surrounding social justice.

Life After Japanese:

I always hoped that I would become a doctor when I grow up but now I’m not so sure. I do still want to become a doctor, but through my experiences in other programs that cater to cultural immersion and my past experiences with the Japanese program, I don’t want to be a conventional doctor. I want to work for Doctors Without Borders, an NGO that sends medical relief officers to countries where medical relief is scarce or highly needed. The necessity of taking on cultural dynamics like doing a Japanese class is that it fundamentally helps me be more aware of the dynamics of cultural interactions and work to the goal of a well-rounded global scholar.