School: Benjamin Banneker AHS

Grade: 11

Zodiac Sign: Cancer/Year of the Dragon

About me:

I am a very social person. I love being around people and getting to know new people. I’m also currently bilingual in Spanish and English and felt that Japanese would be a nice addition since I’m very interested in the Japanese culture. Outside of academics, I am a Girl Scout, the local Vice President and national parliamentarian of the Lambda Kappa Mu junior sorority, I received the highest score in my school on the National Latin Exam in the 9th grade, I passed two AP exams last year and am hoping to achieve the status of an AP scholar this year by passing a third. I am currently preparing for a trip to Costa Rica with the DCPS Study Abroad Program! If you can’t tell, I’m very passionate about international studies and other cultures. I even plan to study that in college.

Personal Statement:

“The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him.” -G.K. Chesterton

To me, this quote defines the way one should look at life and its obstacles. When a challenge is presented, one should not shy away from it from the fear of it being too difficult, but they should go towards it knowing that they’ve accomplished so much. That’s how I live my life academically and personally. When the opportunity came for me to learn Japanese through this program, I was faced with trying to figure out scheduling, work loads and so on. All of this could have led me not to even apply for the program. However, I looked back on my life and decided that if I could learn Spanish and be fully bilingual, I could also begin learning Japanese and work towards reaching a level of fluency so there was absolutely no reason for me not to join this program; and I’m so glad I did.

Arigatoo gozaimasu for this opportunity!