Category: Thoughts

  • Objectivity is a beautiful lie

    Think about the last time you heard a cover and liked it better than the original. Something in the reinterpretation unlocked the song. Maybe it had a slower tempo, riffs in new places, or grief where the original had swagger, and suddenly you can’t unhear it. Although written in black and white, the score was…

  • Letter to Angela Duckworth

    Dear Dr. Duckworth, If you ever choose to write a sequel to Grit, I have the perfect subject for you. Every spring, the cherry blossoms in D.C. last for two weeks. Dr. Nguyen*, my ISEF judge, drove from Cleveland, Ohio, just to see them. While he was here, we had a short reunion. He told…

  • Grit’s Corollary

    I’ve been reading Grit by Angela Duckworth. I’m not even a third of the way through this revolutionary book, and I already have so many thoughts and reflections and life connections. One of her philosophies is that grit is composed of passion and perseverance. I see these two qualities play out every day in myself…

  • Research and Wheat Fields are Pretty Similar

    I could never understand why people went skydiving, climbed mountains without gear, or went cave diving. But, after doing research, I kind of get it.   The first time I entered a field of research, I was utterly lost. I felt like I was in a literal wheat field. No compass, no map, no understanding…

  • Learning even as a teacher

    As I navigate my educational years, I’ve realized the trueness of the phrase “To teach is to learn twice over” (Joseph Joubert). I have had many incredible teachers and mentors who embody this mentality, inspiring me to do the same. You truly cannot teach without gaining a new understanding of the topic. The act itself…

  • When the brain goes on trial: Tale of the Dueling Neurosurgeons

    A question that has always fascinated me is what happens when someone with a neurological disorder commits a crime. Is it really their fault? Was it really ‘them’ committing the crime? How should they be punished – if at all? With the recent rise in gun violence and its ties to mental health struggles, this…