Hobbies
reading, playing the viola, singing, eating

Clubs
Varsity Math Team, Physics Team, Biotech Club, Tomorrow's Women in Science and Technology, Swim Team

Experience
American Invitational Math Examination (AIME), Future Problem Solving State Bowl finalist, American Regions Math League (ARML), Duke Math Meet, Harvard-MIT Math Meet

Biography
I was born in Arlington, Virginia and I am a sophomore at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJ). I have loved math since 6th grade, when I had a wonderful teacher who taught us some high school math. In seventh grade, my bat mitzvah speech was about why I loved math. The rabbi wasn't happy with my first draft, because it had nothing to do with Judaism. Somehow, I tied math and Judaism together. In 8th grade, I took Algebra 2/Trig and became the co-captain of the MathCounts team, which taught me how to speak to boys. I also took the AMC 8, AMC 10, AMC 12, and the AIME. I moved on to skip precalculus and take Calculus BC in 9th grade. At TJ, Varsity Math Team is one of my favorite activities, especially Eric Price's USAMO practices. I also love teaching math to little kids; I helped coach my little sisters' elementary school MathCounts team this year.

My interest in physics (or science, for that matter) came later. My school district doesn't teach much science in elementary and middle school. I learned a little astronomy during a 3-week CTY camp before 8th grade. One of my best friends (who I met at age four because her parents and my parents attended law school together) also introduced me to quantum mechanics during a pool party that summer. She also had just finished 7th grade, and the college students at the party thought we were truly bizarre.

TJ gave me my first real exposure to science. I didn't like biology even though I had a great teacher, because dissecting a fetal pig made me feel sick. But I loved the weekly Physics Team practices, where the co-captains made me feel welcome even though I knew nothing about physics. After 9th grade, I spent part of my summer doing physics research at MITRE. Meanwhile, I was fighting to take AP Physics in 10th grade. The science division chair said kids weren't "developmentally ready" to learn physics until 11th grade. It wasn't easy to get permission. But I ultimately succeeded, and Dr. Dell's AP Physics class is my favorite course this year. Sam Lederer's Physics Team practices also have become my favorite activity -- I like them even more than Math Team!

I am really looking forward to attending Physics training camp, and to meeting everyone there.