Having entered the school district in 9th grade, I was put at a disadvantage in my courses. I was not allowed to take geometry 1 in freshman year, which put me behind the majority of my classmates. However, I was not deterred and spent the following summer, before sophomore year, taking a geometry course in order to catch up with my peers. As a result, I took honors algebra 2 during my sophomore year, which I would not have been able to do had I not taken the extra step during the summer. Despite the rigorous course load, I continued to push myself through extracurricular participation. I was a member of multiple music programs, including marching band and wind ensemble, as well as sports, including 3 years on the Girls JV Soccer team and 1 year on the Varsity team. In these activities, I also took on leadership positions: vice president of band, uniform manager of the marching band, and captain of the JV team for 2 years. Beyond high school, I took further academics into my own hands. Since I could not find a psychology curriculum suited to my desires, I sought it through the city's community college. LACC’s introductory psychology and sociology courses gave me insight into each subject, which provided me with a better understanding of cognitive and behavioral psychology. These classes not only helped me narrow down what I would like to do in the future, but challenged me to learn beyond what my school offered.