Hobbies
Solo violin, orchestra, ultimate frisbee, reading science-fiction!!

Clubs
Chess Club, Math Club, Science Bowl, California Scholarship Federation

Experience
Physics Bowl, American Mathematics Invitational Examination (AIME), USA Mathematics Olympiad (USAMO), USA Mathematics Talent Search (USAMTS), American Regions Mathematics League (ARML), Mandelbrot, Pomona-Wisconsin Math Talent Search, National Merit Scholarship Recipient, National AP Scholar

Biography
I am a senior at North Hollywood High School Highly Gifted Magnet in Southern California. My two passions stemming from early childhood have been science and music, and I have tried to cultivate both in my high school and middle school years. I started playing the violin when I was five, and ever since then, I have enjoyed practicing and performing in recitals and concerts. I was recently chosen as a member of the Young Artist Guild of the Music Teachers’ Association of California and I consider this to be the apex of my musical endeavors. I credit my development of problem-solving skills to two sources: an inspirational middle school teacher- William “Fitz” Fitz-Gibbons and the Ross Mathematics Summer Program at Ohio State University. Before entering Fitz’ independent studies program, I had a definite interest in math and physics, but my abilities weren’t very refined. Thanks to the guidance from Fitz, I was able to accelerate through several math levels and take AP Calculus BC and AP Physics B in 8th grade. In the summer after 10th grade, I enrolled in the Ross Program, which has been one of my most rewarding decisions. An 8-week course in number theory, the Ross Program guided me to think independently and creatively, which has helped me invaluably in both physics and math competitions. Being selected as a member of the 2005 and 2006 U.S. Physics Olympiad Teams has been very gratifying. I’m not sure if I have ever learned as much physics in a short period of time as last year’s training camp, and I am extremely eager to return this year. This accomplishment would not be possible without the support and organizational efforts of my coach, Altair Maine. In addition to getting me interested in robotics and geophysics in 9th grade, he has also helped me with many difficult physics problems and encouraged me to compete in the Olympiad. The limited free time that I have is spent at UCLA, which has been my second home for the past four years. In 9th and 10th grade, I took multivariable calculus at UCLA. There I have also been a member of the American Youth Symphony (AYS) since 10th grade. We have had great experiences playing in Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. At UCLA, I also conduct research on laser-induced cavitation luminescence under my mentor, Professor Gary Williams. With this project, I was a semifinalist in both the Intel Science Talent Search and Siemens Westinghouse Competition. (I am still hoping that there will be some outlandish application of this project to nuclear fusion). I will most likely go to Harvard or MIT and pursue physics or engineering. However, as music, math, and physics complement each other very elegantly, I will definitely continue studying all three in the future.