Hobbies
computer overclocking, reading (philosophy), video games, piano

Clubs
Debate (Lincoln-Douglas), Student Congress, Editor on school newspaper, Academic Challenge, Rocketry, TEAMS

Experience
American Mathematics Competition (AMC), American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), Tests of Engineering Aptitude, Mathematics, and Science (TEAMS) (#1 in Ohio, 10th, 11th grade), District Champion in Lincoln-Douglas Debate (11th grade), Physics Bowl, Chemistry Olympiad, Ohio Mathematics League (OML), Ohio High-School Mathematics Invitational Olympiad (OHMIO

Biography
I was born in Cleveland, Ohio on March 15, 1990, and have lived there since then. Although I can't really articulate why this is the case, ever since I can remember, I have loved to compete in academic competitions of any sort. When I was in elementary school, I participated (and often won top honors in) in writing competitions, history competitions, mathematics competitions, science competitions... anything where I could test my skills against other people. It was only in fifth or sixth grade that I really began to love mathematics and science more than anything else, and it was only around seventh or eighth grade that I learned that I wanted to concentrate on subjects that integrated mathematics and science together. (physics ) When I was in eighth grade, I scored a 1450 on the SAT, with a 760 in math.

My ninth grade year was something of a waste. Although the high school that I chose to attend seemed like it could accommodate my interests, it was not very good at much of anything, and it actually slowed my progress (e.g. I was prepared for a calculus class in 9th grade, but they refused to accommodate me). I transferred to Hawken School the next year and took my first course in physics, AP Physics B. I loved it from the first day. That year, I scored a 5 on the AP exams in BC Calculus and Physics B, a 238 on the PSAT, and scored 800's on the Physics and Math 2 SAT II. This year, I took the AP Physics C course, and I have been studying Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra through Stanford's EPGY distance learning program. Last summer, I was able to get some firsthand research experience in Case Western Reserve University's ultrafast optics lab. My work concerned the optical properties of quantum dots.

Outside of the alphabet soup of mathematics and science competitions listed above, I have spent much time on Lincoln-Douglas debate. During the heart of the debate season, I often spend hours each night doing research and composing cases, and I have traveled across the country for debate competitions. This year, I was the top debater in my district. Thus, while I have focused most of my energies on mathematical and scientific pursuits, my love for anything competitive hasn't really diminished.

In my spare time, I overclock computers. On one hand, I have been able to make a 3.2GHz Pentium 4 run at 4.0GHz using only air cooling. On the other hand, I once short-circuited and destroyed a motherboard, power supply, and processor simultaneously. In addition, I play the piano, and I enjoy reading philosophy books (especially postmodern literature).