Quizbowl is an academic competition, where two teams of 4 players compete to answer the most questions in a given round. These questions can be based on topics ranging from Math and Science to Pop Culture, and is a great test of general knowledge. I joined the Quizbowl club at my school in my freshman year, and it was a great fit for me; I have always been passionate about geography and science and have participated in both geography and science olympiads. Quizbowl let me bring both those interests together, and it allowed me to experience priceless opportunities, such as being on TV for the High School Quiz Show for two years straight, and being featured in Andover's town newspaper. I greatly enjoyed these experiences and hope to continue during my time at MAMS.

A match between Andover and Wellesley that aired in March 2020

RSM, or the Russian School of Mathematics, is a math enrichment program which offers weekly classes for children in grades K-12. I had been a student at the RSM branch in Andover for 8 years, and last year I was given the opportunity to work for RSM Andover as a tutor. As a tutor, I teach extra help classes and make-up lessons for kids from grades 2 through 10. Tutoring is one of my favorite activities; although it comes with great responsibility, I really enjoy working with kids. Tutoring kids of all ages in math allows me to develop my interpersonal skills, refine my understanding of foundational math, and make some easy money. It’s an extremely rewarding experience, and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys math, or enjoys working with kids.

I’ve been doing Destination Imagination for the past 6 years, and I believe that DI has had the greatest impact on me as a thinker. Through this program, I was able to develop my creative skills, and understand how to think outside of the box. Our team has been mostly technically oriented, but two years ago we decided to pursue the Service Learning Challenge, which required us to address a community need. Through our project, we decided to raise awareness about the 29 endangered species in Andover and have taken crucial steps towards the protection of these animals. Working on this project allowed me the opportunity to work with ecologists and other experts in the field, as well as politicians and legislators including state representatives and senators. Currently, our team is working on helping the state government select a state amphibian for the Commonwealth. More information can be found on our website here.

Over the summer I was a counselor at the North Andover chapter of Camp Invention for two weeks. I have been volunteering for Camp Invention for the past 3 years, but this was the first year I was a counselor. For the first week I was put in charge of the kindergarteners, and for the second week took care of the 5th graders. Although it was a demanding job, I thought it was a valuable experience, as I got hands-on experience dealing with both very young kids, as well as some older children. I realized how much effort went into taking care of kids, and also understood the difference in needs between kids of different age groups.