Hobbies
Ultimate Frisbee, video games, Bridge, Munchkin, tennis.

Clubs
Math Club, Science Club

Experience
National Merit Finalist, ARML, Honors Society, AIME, Science Bowl.

Biography
I was born on July 3, 1988 in Stoneham, MA. I have lived in Andover, MA for my whole life so far, attending Andover public schools through 8th grade. In elementary and middle school I played Clarinet in the school band, and also played (and continue to play) the soprano and alto recorder.

Through 7th grade, the academic aspects of school weren't very exciting for me. I have had a voraciously inquisitive mind for as long as I can remember, even before preschool, and so I had the frequent disappointment of re-learning in class things that I had learned before. My older sisters, Vicky and Britta, are 5 and 7 years older than me, and so were far ahead of me in school. This meant that they were learning new and interesting things, and I would bug them about it (as only a little brother can) until they agreed to teach me what they had learned.

I was also an avid reader. In 2nd grade I started to love the children's stories of Roald Dahl, especially such classics as The BFG, Matilda, The Witches, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. I also greatly enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis, as well as the sports stories of Matt Christopher. From all of these books, my sisters and my parents (as well as Bill Nye, of course!) I grew more and more interested in math, science, logic, and the world around me.

In 8th grade I learned algebra, which was my introduction to symbolic manipulation. In 10th grade I took my first physics course, and discovered that the simplest laws of motion agree happily with my intuitive understanding of the world. In 11th grade I took Chemistry and Calculus, and finally got to apply that calculus to physics this year. I took AP Physics, as well as an elective in intermediate mechanics, and am currently taking an elective in quantum mechanics and special relativity.

I like physics for its usefulness, but also for the elegance of it, and the fun of it. Artists like Tom Lehrer and Weird Al remind me of the lighter sides of the often-serious subjects of math and physics, and I like their work so much that it inspired me to write parody songs of my own. Wherever I go to college next year, I plan to major in Physics, and study hard; however, I also hope to never lose sight of the fun and humorous side.