Brinda

My High School Years Script As I reflect on my high school years, I look back with satisfaction at a time of great personal growth. I’ve become infinitely more confident of myself and sure of my future goals and dreams.

Freshman year dawned on me at Herbert Henry Dow High School in Midland, Michigan. At Dow High I made some of my best friends, who I still keep in constant contact with today. In ninth grade I got my feet wet, trying out new clubs and activities. I continued piano and dance lessons and performances, which I had been involved with for a long time. I also began tae-kwon do, which I still do and enjoy a lot today. And I joined Key Club and the JV girls tennis team at my school. In 10th grade, I made the varsity tennis team, which was an awesome experience for me. Just being a member of the team and a close-knit community was great for me, not to mention my tennis skills! The end of tenth grade was marked by my induction into the National Honor Society, a testament to my two successful years at Dow High. That was the summer my family moved from Michigan to North Carolina. In June, I traveled to Washington, D.C. with my orchestra for the National Anthem Project Finale, where we played at national monuments – a unique and fun experience. After we moved into our new home in Cary, I began to be a little apprehensive about the upcoming school year. As I look back, though, this move has been really good for me. While it wasn’t comfortable at first to get acquainted with a new school, new friends, new scenery, this move made me a lot more independent and self-reliant. Junior year, I focused my time on academics and on joining activities and meeting new people. I became a part of the Spanish Honor Society, Science Olympiad and the tutoring club (which I was the president of this year). I also grew a lot closer to my family, with whom I maintain the strongest possible relationship, it seems. I also love my extended family, who I hope to stay close to all my life. Last year my family continued our tradition of traveling. So far, I’ve been to eight different countries, and to places such as Hawaii, Rome, London, India and more. Last spring break, we traveled closer to home, visiting Florida and the Blue Ridge Mountains. This past spring break we made a more utilitarian trip to see Johns Hopkins and the University of Pittsburgh, which was nevertheless one of my most enjoyable experiences this year. Senior year was a whirlwind of activity. I continued focusing on academics, service, and college applications, which were a lot more time-consuming than I had initially planned for! I was rewarded for my efforts this spring, when I found out I got into all the colleges I applied to, and I received quite a few scholarships, from both colleges and competitions!

I really enjoyed my high school life because it has been filled with so many important and exciting events. I’m proud of the person I’ve become and I am so grateful to my family and friends for all their support. Next year I am really looking forward to beginning chemical engineering at NC State University. I am so excited for the upcoming years because I know that I can tackle whatever trials and triumphs lie ahead.