I am a person who is wildly interested in history, art, and culture. As a student at Reed College, I've been able to explore my interest in these things and humanity as a whole. I love learning about people and art from the past as they always manage to feel so familiar. My whole life, I've enjoyed feeling like I'm a part of something bigger than myself. Studying history helps me to feel human when I sometimes don't; it helps remind me that I am, in a sense, of the world. Expressing myself through writing, playing, and listening to music means a lot to me. Music, books, plays, films, and all other forms of storytelling will draw me in. Studying Mandarin in school has also given me an intense appreciation for the importance of language and its influence on human interaction. Art and culture interest me because they provide a bottomless pit of material that allows one to gain insight into people's lives and minds. The complexity of history, culture, and humanity makes me feel complex in turn, and I hope that I'll be able to continue my studies so that I can learn to feel that way for the rest of my life.