Q: What grade are you in?

A: I’m a senior this year at Salisbury High School.

Q: What is your favorite subject? Why?

A: My favorite subject at school is probably Spanish, but this year I’ve also had the pleasure of taking an introductory French class at Moravian College, which has been a wonderful experience. I’ve always loved language – and culture-oriented classes.

Q: Have you received any special awards or recognition?

A: I’ve received awards for academic achievement and excellence in community from the Middlebury Language Academy, where I studied Mandarin Chinese.

Q: Are you involved in any extracurricular activities?

A: I’ve been in our school’s debate and Model United Nations clubs since ninth grade, both of which have been so much fun and very rewarding experiences throughout my high school career.

Q: What is your next goal after high school?

A: For a long time, my dream has been to go to a university in Canada. Although I’m not entirely sure what I want to be yet, right now my biggest goal is applying and getting accepted to school in Vancouver or Toronto.

Q: What would you say your biggest challenge has been so far?

A: Although not a singular moment or event, I’d say the biggest challenge for me in high school has been time management. High school is such an exciting time and it often feels like between school work, extracurriculars, work outside of school and spending time with friends and family, there just aren’t enough hours in the day.

Q: What do you want to be remembered for?

A: I would love to be remembered as a positive and optimistic person. I like to think that the best way to handle stress and conflict is through maintaining a positive outlook. I know how much other people’s smiles and kindness has meant to me over the years, and if I were to leave behind any one of my beliefs, it would be this one.

Q: Who is in your family?

A: I live with my dad, Bradley, my mom, Tena and my dog, Appa. I also have an older brother, Robert, who graduated from Salisbury four years ago and is currently finishing up his education at Northeastern University in Boston.

Q: Do you have someone you look up to?

A: There are many people in my life that I really look up to, but one of my main role models has always been my older brother, Robert. Although I don’t tell him often enough, he’s definitely one of the smartest and kindest people I know and I am so happy for him and all that he’s accomplished.

Q: Do you have any advice for your peers?

A: I’m not sure if it’s the best advice, but I wish someone would have told me in my freshman year not to worry so much going forward! I think many kids in high school, including myself, tend to get caught up in every bad grade or every difficult assignment, but I’ve learned things always have a way of working themselves out. I think it’s important every so often to take a step back and breathe. This is something that I still have to remind myself a lot, but it’s one of the best ways I can manage stress.