This website can tell you a lot about my academic interests, so I am dedicating this page to tell you a bit about myself outside of class. I have played soccer since the age of four, competitively since the age of twelve. Having hobbies outside of school and soccer has always been tough for me, but I try to make the time. Here are a few:
No matter the age, no matter the book, I have always been an avid reader. My current favorite "adult" reads are The Lord of the Rings by JR Tolkein, Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas. I'm currently working on A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. I am also a huge fan of books for young people, I believe they can shape how people see the world. So, some recommended reads for adults who secretly are obsessed with young adult books: The Song of the Lioness and The Protector of the Small quartets by Tamora Pierce. These are the first feminist books I ever read. For those more interested in books targeted to audiences older than 14, I recommend The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffeneger as well as Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
I signed up for an International Baccalaureate Studio Art class my junior year of high school, having no idea what I was doing. My previous art experienced consisted of Color Me Mine, a 4th grade drawing assignment, and a single semester of general art during my sophomore year. The class I had signed up for was a two year program culminating with a showcase and presentation of all art... Turns out I was actually good at painting. I even learned to stretch my own canvas, and had a painting on display in the Seattle Art Museum for a short time. I don't have a studio anymore, or a teacher, or time. But I still love it and I do it as often as I can. When I can't paint, I sketch.
Something that always surprises people is that I have been studying Japanese since I was 14. I spent the fall of my third year at Lewis and Clark College studying Japanese in Sapporo, Japan. I frequently wish that I could go back! I lived with a host family that I love, and experienced living somewhere with real snow for the first time. Japanese is a huge part of my life and I hope to have more opportunities to go back.