Hobbies
Programming, assembling/disassembling computers, playing the saxophone

Clubs
Math Club, Science Olympiad, Academic Team, American Computer Science League (ACSL) Club, Tutoring Center

Experience
USA Math Olympiad (USAMO), US National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO), UCSD High School Honors Math Contest, ACS San Diego Chemistry Contest, Panasonic Academic Challenge (PAC), NHS

Biography
I am currently a junior at Torrey Pines High School here in San Diego. I moved here from Naperville, Illinois at seven years old. From an early age, I was interested in mathematics and computers. In elementary school, I entered a special algebra introduction class designed to teach basic algebra to incoming junior high students inclined toward math; by the end of the year, however, I ended up finishing a full algebra course. This enabled me to skip some math classes in middle school, giving me the chance to experience high-school mathematics early and sparking my interest in math. In part, math came to me more naturally than other subjects, but I also found the amount of knowledge present in math amazing, and was always searching for the odd problem or the missing case. This interest, I believe, helped prepare me for my experiences in high school. I began taking the AMC 10 in 8th grade, and managed to achieve first place in the state three years in a row. In 9th grade, my first USAMO qualification allowed me to attend the Math Olympiad (Summer) Program, my first camp. It was quite enjoyable, and I managed to learn a great deal about in-depth mathematics there. My next year, however, I began looking into the sciences as well; I dove into chemistry and, supported by a strenuous but well-taught chemistry class, I was lucky enough to qualify for the Chemistry Olympiad Training Camp, a much more intense but also edifying experience. At the same time, though, I began taking physics classes a year early, since it seemed to combine the two fields I liked best: math and science. This year, with the help of a great mentor, I've been invited to enter physics camp, and I'm excited about the chance to delve deep into the field. In the meantime, I've also spent time doing other things. I've worked in Study Buddies, an elementary student tutoring program, for a few years; now, with 6 AP classes and SATs bearing down, I do what I can to help others in class and in the Tutoring Center club at school. From time to time, I spend a few hours on a weekend playing tennis. I've also played saxophone for a time; beginning in 7th grade, I learned the instrument in class and continued taking band for four years, and I hope to continue improving myself in the future. What free time I have left I generally spend working with my computer or listening to music (usually at the same time). Now that I've begun taking computer science courses, I've also entered the field of programming, and I find it quite interesting; in the future, I hope to continue working in my areas of interest, and perhaps expand into new fields as time passes.