On January 11th, 2023, Cross River Therapy reported that 75% of the domestic population (over 200 million people) dread public speaking; I was one of these 200 million individuals two years ago. To get outside my comfort zone, I joined the Shrewsbury High School Speech and Debate team to conquer this fear (Click here to learn more about Speech and Debate). Speech and Debate has shaped my life beautifully in ways I could have never imagined without all the vivid experiences I have created. While early on, I was struggling to maintain proper eye contact and speak cohesively, through continuous practice, I have now attended numerous national circuit tournaments. Most notably, I received a semi-finalist title at the National Catholic Forensic League (NCFL) 2023 annual tournament. Moreover, I also earned an octo-finalist title in the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA) 2023 annual tournament; however, my proudest accomplishment is receiving the "Always Faithful" award in my class for my dedication, passion, and drive to spread the legacy of Speech and Debate.

Last year, I was a proud member of Shrewsbury High School’s Robotics Team 467 during my sophomore year, specifically the outreach portion (Click here to learn more about Shrewsbury Robotics. Aside from working on the mechanical sub-team, I assisted with outreach events and essays for our competition. FRC, FIRST Robotics Competition, values giving back to our community and acknowledging those who do this in STEM. Last year, I worked on a couple of essays that described and detailed how our team (particularly one coach every year) promotes knowledge, kindness, and a sense of belonging to all of those in our community. Performing activities from selling apple pies to providing resources for aspiring STEM students to learn from, Team 467 is passionate about helping our community in numerous ways beyond STEM. I am eager to present the same level of passion and commitment to my new team, Robotics Team 190, this year as the new season quickly approaches.

When I attended Sherwood Middle School, I was part of the “Extended Day Program,” where I spent some extra time with my peers until my parents could pick me up from work. Beyond just doing fun activities in the program, I met Mr. Prescott (one of my favorite teachers) and Sanat Patki (one of my closest friends). Having heard that Mr. Prescott would be running the 2023 Summer Robotics initiative, Sanat and I were eager to help run the program; we were delighted to spend time with one of our favorite mentors while simultaneously helping out students in our community. Across the four weeks, we did everything from playing basketball to building model rockets. Aside from recognizing how important it was to be there for our community, especially in the areas that have revolutionized our lives, I learned that these opportunities can serve as an opportunity to change younger student’s lives. I have included a picture to the left taken when Sanat and I were in middle school with Mr. Prescott.

Through participating in Speech and Debate over the last couple of years, I have learned the importance of one skill more than any other: advocacy. While I didn’t partake in the program, Sherwood and Oak Middle School offer Speech and Debate as an after-school activity to students (Grades 6-8). When the mentor expressed that she would appreciate having high school students to help coach, I was elated to become a small portion of the reason that younger students would become better presenters, but more importantly, better people. Every Monday during sophomore year, some of my friends at Shrewsbury High School Speech and Debate and I spent our time after school coaching middle schoolers on leading different drills, displaying different skills, and providing feedback. At the end of each lesson, I remind my students that it is vital to use our voices now more than ever in a world where problems spur from a lack of communication.