Cyber Patriots is a national competition in which teams compete to secure computers from threats. Since joining in 8th grade, I have learned a lot about cyber security. I am a student lead, which enabled me to teach my field of expertise to other CP members. My team has consistently been a state topper for the past couple of years. This program has greatly influenced my career path. Picture by Lewis-Palmer School District.

The Preliminary SAT (PSAT) scores rank students nationally through this program. I was shortlisted as scoring in the top percent of test-takers. As a result, I was conferred the 'Semifinalist Award'. I am currently awaiting a decision on whether I qualify to be a Finalist.

In my Freshman and Sophomore years, I participated in the science fair. My science fair project was about designing an interface on which a driver and the stoplight can communicate; I made an app that drivers can use to communicate to the stoplight. I advanced to the District and eventually State Fair. I gained an understanding of Java and its applications through this experience.

Kumon is a math tutoring program. It is founded on the philosophy that doing a little bit--around 30 minutes--of math everyday can help you immensely in the long run. I started the Kumon program during the 6th grade, and I finished the program in 10th grade. These four years of continual math have definitively helped me get better at math. Doing math two years ahead of your grade ensures that you thoroughly know your current grade level's math.

Key club is a student led after-school club. It consists of people who are committed to giving back to the community. It encourages people to go out into the community and volunteer. We have many in-school activities that help raise money for non-profits. In addition, influential people from the community come to the school to present problems the community faces and what we can do about it. As the Secretary this year, I have the privilege to lead a tutoring program at a local elementary school.

During Sophomore year, we had a really interesting project assigned. A chicken had just recently lost her feet to frostbite during the winter. Our mission was to get Peggy moving again, using the 3D modelling skills we knew. I learned a lot about the engineering process because I was able to apply learned knowledge to a real-life project.

Junior Council on World Affairs. It is an annual gathering of teams from various schools to compete on their knowledge of current and past events. There is also a separate competition in which geography skills are tested. This club is especially interesting because I have an affinity for keeping up with the world news and the world's ever-changing borders. I was on our region's first place team this past year. We were invited to Washington DC to participate in the Academic World Quest.

Congressional Award is a program that encourages the youth to improve themselves. There are three facets to this award: volunteering, physical fitness, and personal development. One has to complete a set amount of hours to receive recognition. This program has pushed me to volunteer multiple hours a week, get exercise, and work on my math skills. I currently volunteer at the Soin Medical Center at the front desk, and I volunteer at Goodwill Easter Seals Miami Valley as a radio reader.

Youth Group for Indian Culture. In YGIC, we learn different things about Indian culture. We also learn about astronomy, finance, and time management. There are classes for 1st graders to 12th graders. Through YGIC, I learned a lot of Indian history. The classes are on every Sunday. The logo is a picture of Ganesha, an Indian God.