Thursday, May 26, 2016
Reflections (#1)
2. My computer is my most valuable possession. I browse CNET and other tech websites all the time to see what the latest computers look like and to decide which one to buy for myself. The computer is my connection to friends, news, games, movies, and TV. But more importantly, it taught me how to explore and experiment. I learned a lot by navigating the inside of the computer. By scrutinizing the circuits and motherboard, I really became immersed in its anatomy and inner workings, even playing around with these pieces when I fixed my old computer. I also experimented with the software on the computer. I learned tricks on how to customize settings and other features and how to create my own programs. I would sometimes program games or other applications during my spare time, and despite my occasional frustration with encountering errors all the time, I was always glad to see the end product actually working.The computer was the most significant place for me to be creative and do something on my own. It meant freedom and independence. It was one my most memorable out of class lessons. Everything I have learned from the computer is invaluable to me and has made me realize that I want to continue this pursuit for the rest of my career.
5. The most influential person of the past four years is Reed Hastings, founder of Netflix. While quite a few entrepreneurs have made it big recently, Reed Hastings is the entrepreneur that speaks to me to the most since his product is the one I use most frequently. However, Reed Hasting is not only influential because of his product, his story is also very compelling. A Marine and Peace Corps volunteer before starting his company, he conjured up the ingenious idea of Netflix while working out in the gym. He had a stack of video rentals that he had not returned on time and it frustrated him that he had to constantly go down to the store to return his DVDs. While at the gym, he started thinking about how the gym lets you pay for a membership ahead of time and then you could come to the gym as often as you liked. He liked the idea of a subscription system better than going through a long process every time someone wanted to rent a video. As a result, he basically created a gym membership-type of system for video rentals so that we would not have to deal with things like late fees. Netflix started out by mailing videos to customers, but over the last four years, Netflix streaming has really taken off and become part of our everyday lives. I can’t remember the last time I rented a video at a physical video. I find it very inspiring that making a seemingly simple improvement could turn into a huge business.
8. My fondest memory during high school was my summer internship. I was the technical expert in charge of automating some processes for the company. I felt that the work itself was fine. Ironically, my favorite part of this internship was the location. The office was in Downtown Palo Alto and during my lunch break or after the work day was over, I had time to explore the city. I was the only teen intern there and my friends were not nearby during the day, but it was not much of a bother to explore the city on my own. There was such a variety of restaurants around the area, and luckily I could afford some of them. I ate at a different restaurant every day; one day it was Italian, another day it was Japanese, another day it was something else. There were even some dessert shops, such as Cream, that I could regularly go to. I also liked visiting the nearby Apple Store and GameStop and browsing through the products. Every day was eventful. This memory stands out to me because it was one of the most lively experiences I’ve had. I learned what it is like to be in the city and also how to navigate the city myself. It was also nice to have some quality "me" time.
5. The most influential person of the past four years is Reed Hastings, founder of Netflix. While quite a few entrepreneurs have made it big recently, Reed Hastings is the entrepreneur that speaks to me to the most since his product is the one I use most frequently. However, Reed Hasting is not only influential because of his product, his story is also very compelling. A Marine and Peace Corps volunteer before starting his company, he conjured up the ingenious idea of Netflix while working out in the gym. He had a stack of video rentals that he had not returned on time and it frustrated him that he had to constantly go down to the store to return his DVDs. While at the gym, he started thinking about how the gym lets you pay for a membership ahead of time and then you could come to the gym as often as you liked. He liked the idea of a subscription system better than going through a long process every time someone wanted to rent a video. As a result, he basically created a gym membership-type of system for video rentals so that we would not have to deal with things like late fees. Netflix started out by mailing videos to customers, but over the last four years, Netflix streaming has really taken off and become part of our everyday lives. I can’t remember the last time I rented a video at a physical video. I find it very inspiring that making a seemingly simple improvement could turn into a huge business.
8. My fondest memory during high school was my summer internship. I was the technical expert in charge of automating some processes for the company. I felt that the work itself was fine. Ironically, my favorite part of this internship was the location. The office was in Downtown Palo Alto and during my lunch break or after the work day was over, I had time to explore the city. I was the only teen intern there and my friends were not nearby during the day, but it was not much of a bother to explore the city on my own. There was such a variety of restaurants around the area, and luckily I could afford some of them. I ate at a different restaurant every day; one day it was Italian, another day it was Japanese, another day it was something else. There were even some dessert shops, such as Cream, that I could regularly go to. I also liked visiting the nearby Apple Store and GameStop and browsing through the products. Every day was eventful. This memory stands out to me because it was one of the most lively experiences I’ve had. I learned what it is like to be in the city and also how to navigate the city myself. It was also nice to have some quality "me" time.
Favorite Novel (#6)
My favorite novel is The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. It was one of the first sci-fi/dystopian novels I have read. The setting of the book was very dark and interesting, but the most compelling part was the character journey. In this novel, a old, sick drug lord from Mexico named El Patron clones himself so that he can take the clone’s organs and transplant them to himself in order to keep himself alive, essentially forever. The clone, Matt, is the protagonist. Under orders from El Patron, Matt was not allowed to go outside and was to be raised by maids and protected by bodyguards. El Patron also treats Matt really well to keep him happy and healthy before he takes Matt’s organs. In a way, Matt was like an illegitimate child. The main story is that Matt comes to realize what is going on and summons the courage to leave this society and to start over in a new place and gain the life experiences he was deprived of as a child.
This novel is unlike any other novel I have read before. The backstory and the emotional journey of the protagonist was very moving. The uniqueness of the story makes this novel unforgettable to me.
Favorite Poem (#5)
A poem that speaks to me is “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost. It teaches an important lesson about taking risks and making decisions. I like that it sends the message that taking the unpopular route or the uncertain route will pay off in the end. It is scary to pursue something without knowing the outcome and to risk failure, but this poem teaches that everyone has to go through these steps in order to become successful since you will never learn anything by playing it safe. I think this is an important lesson, especially for seniors, because we will all face these dilemmas in college. There will be so many tough decisions, such as picking a major or a career. Even deciding on a college required a lot of thought and introspection. We will encounter even bigger predicaments later in life and the two roads will come up over and over again. However, I think this poem is perfect for right now, when we are about to graduate high school.
Timeline and Photos (#2, 3)
Freshman
First day of high school
First Spanish class
Art class - fun final project: combination of random magazine photos
Collecting rollie pollies for Bio
Vacation to Morro Bay
Vacation to Morro Bay
Sophomore
Tougher schedule - first experience with late nights
First Java class
Visited San Francisco a lot because my sister moved there for new job.
Junior
First SAT
Summer internship in Palo Alto
First AP exam
(More trips to San Francisco!)
Got Learner’s Permit for driving
Random but very memorable moment - saw deer in the street one day (somewhere near Monta Vista)
Senior
College apps
Got Driver’s License
Decided to go to UCSD
Saw the new Star Wars movie
Upcoming- Graduation, Senior Picnic
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