I challenged myself academically in high school by "being comfortable being uncomfortable." I did this by taking challenges courses while balancing extracurriculars and hobbies. For example, with piano, I performed piano in over 60 concerts/community events, placed 2nd in the Two Cranes International Competition, was selected to perform with 10 others at Carnegie Hall (NYC), and completed both music theory and performance for Certificate of Merit & Royal Conservatory through level 10. For swimming, I participated in three different club teams, trained 2-3 hours a day on dry land, ocean water, and in the pool four to six times a week. I achieved the required times in 100M Breaststroke, 100M Backstroke, and 200M IM to compete in Junior Olympics in 9th/10th grade. In addition to these extracurriculars, I also took on part time jobs and volunteering. I taught my third grade neighbor swimming foundations (floating, freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke), developed age-appropriate coaching techniques for him, and planned out each lesson to gradually build technique and foundations of skills. I also worked part-time at a gym on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, as well as filling in whenever a worker was needed. I would maintain the cleanliness of treadmills all other facilities, support the front desk administrative staff by checking in guests for class. For volunteering, I improved the cleanliness of various local parks by picking up trash and reducing environmental waste impact, and mentor students with special needs through music as well as perform at retirement homes once a month.