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Dear Diary

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  Dear Diary,  I don’t really know where to start. Today was one of those days where the academic grind mentality just did not hit. Instead, I think the world might explode and end, because I just don’t know what I’m doing with my life right now. I went to my first meeting with a college counselor- she’s going to help me get into college- and it just feels like all the weight in the world is going to get thrown at me. One by one, my list of programs to apply to, books to write, business ideas to work on, it just grows and grows and I want it to stop. Everywhere I look, there’s people that are doing insanely incredible things: internships at large firms, starting not one, but TWO non profit organizations, volunteering or partnering with a major business. When I started high school two years ago, I knew that I would have to work and always be on the grind, but I’m so stuck now. It feels like college is just a fingertip out of reach, and I’m stuck suspended in the air, trying to close the
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2023

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2023: A Year of Quiet Growth Part 1 Seeds Sown in Stillness I remember when my sister first got accepted into APAAS in early May . We got a letter, my parents played with her a little and told her it was a letter from Mr. Stonebarger, the Turtle Rock Elementary School principle, because she was in a lot of trouble. 6 years ago, they used that exact same trick with me, when I got my letter too. She walked upstairs, and read the letter, all of us watching from outside, with our knowing smiles. Her delayed reaction surprised me a little, but her understanding of what the letter meant posed a question for us all. She was accepted at Westpark Elementary School, not at Turtle Rock. Going into 5th grade the following year, with two more years left in elementary school, did she really want to switch to a new school, with a different schedule, and leave behind her friends and teachers? Her two weeks of contemplation left me wondering what her decision would be. The mind of a 10-year-old is so u
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The 2024 Elections: A Gauntlet of Ghosts and Grappling with the Future

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The 2024 presidential election looms like a thunderhead on the horizon, charged not just with the usual electricity of ambition and policy clashes, but with a disquieting undercurrent of anxiety and dread. This time, the contenders face a gauntlet of lingering issues – growing immigrant policy concerns, healthcare, inflation, as well as more practical and ongoing topics including the specter of Biden family, the simmering anxieties of foreign conflicts, and the long shadow of Donald Trump's legal battles – all vying for a starring role in the drama unfolding before the nation's eyes. This upcoming electoral contest arrives at a time when the nation is facing an array of pressing challenges, demanding comprehensive discussions during the upcoming 2024 presidential debates.  Currently, the US is characterized by a confluence of issues spanning from a continued economic recovery post-pandemic, open border related immigration issues, to systematic inequalities, climate change mitig
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“X” Marks the Spot

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Image courtesy- Emin Sansar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images In an announcement, leaving the world in shock, Elon Musk, the maverick entrepreneur and CEO of Tesla, SpaceX, and other companies, announced his personal decision to rebrand Twitter as “X,” quickly changing the logo and company name soon after. This unexpected name change has sparked some heated debates among tech enthusiasts, and avid users of the platform, with many making their decisions to leave the app. However, as an observer of the event, I think that this rebranding could ultimately have profound implications for how Twitter has supported free speech, and the company’s overall image and reputation.  The rebranding of the company to “X” signifies somewhat of a radical departure from Twitter’s long-term established identity. For years, Musk has been known to be a firm believer and supporter in the idea of free speech, using Twitter as a method to communicate his theories and thoughts to the world and his millions of fol
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One Door Leads to Another

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One door always leads to another... Journal Entry 2; October 2 PERSON 2 Twinkles flashed in the bleak, black midnight sky, illuminating the world above. I sat on my balcony, thinking wistfully- wishing I hadn't been stuck in this palace. A gown adorned my body, hugging my curves in all the right places; it was pearl white, with delicate flower embroidery lining the bottom of the flowy skirt, gliding gracefully whenever I walked. It was the most captivating, stunning garment I had ever laid my eyes on. If only I had been wearing it under different circumstances.  Image courtesy- Pexels Suddenly, I went stiff and felt an overwhelming sensation, feeling the weight of the world being mercilessly thrown at me. My heart hurt and my face became wet with streams of tears flowing down my cheeks. No one in the world could help me, and it didn't feel like anyone cared either. I was kidnapped... thrown and imprisoned in a room of a palace I loathed. Starved for days because I refused a mar
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8th Grade Promotion Speech

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 I was given the opportunity to speak to the IVA 8th grade class of 2022... here's my speech :)
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The World Is Ending...

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The world is ending... Image courtesy- Pixabay I make mistakes, and I'm not always happy. So sometimes, I close my eyes, to render myself an opportunity to experience a joyous moment once in a while; to reminisce past experiences that have been strung through my heart, and manifest what I want my future to look like one day. The world is ending now, though, and with this knowledge, I want to say sorry to my past self and to everyone I've disregarded. Because a connection isn't deep unless it's meant to be, and there are ways I have shown that I don't care.  Knowing when I'll die frightens me, because no matter how normalized this concept of mortality and the "circle of life" is, I know one day I'll be gone, and no one will remember me. I know that one day, I will lose myself in a dark void, and I'll no longer know those I love. It frightens me that the years that have been lost and used to build these relationships will all just disappear in th
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