In 11th grade, I was given the opportunity to take a 1 semester elective on International Relations. This course was taught through the Brown University curriculum that targets the foundation of International Relations - UN, NGOs, and current events. A part of this learning was a series of documents that challenged students to investigate issues from a global perspective. For example, I researched climate change from the perspective of different countries - both mitigating and preventing the problem. I also wrote a fictional letter to Congress on US Policy in the Syrian War. Beyond this, we viewed presentations from the class on different options to reform the UN, each reflecting the ideas of diverse countries that may disagree. Taking International Relations allowed me to see the effect of global problems on foreign countries. It becomes very easy to live in the echo chamber of one of the most powerful countries in the world. However, this class gave me the context to understand that problems cannot be solved by just one country and vast issues like climate change and poverty must always be considered from a global perspective. As an International Relations major in undergrad, I hope to continue investigating the world through research and internships around the globe.

From 8-11th grade, I have been taught Spanish in the classroom setting. On the first day of school in 8th grade, my Spanish teacher spoke only in the language, leaving us students confused and anxious that we had forgotten summer homework. The next day, she spoke to us - in English - about the importance of immersing completely into Spanish when stepping into the classroom. This, she argued, was the only way to truly learn the language. This is some of the best advice I received, as the same is true with culture - you must immerse yourself completely. In AP Spanish last year, one of the many cultural lessons was taught through comparisons, a portion of the exam. One of the most impactful was the comparison of access to technology in America and Spanish-speaking countries. 72% of people in South America have no access to technology. This fact, and viewing documentaries that showed the people affected by these facts, taught me something invaluable. I cannot take for granted what I am privileged to have. Learning Spanish has not only taught me perspective through grammar rules and tricky pronouns - but its culture has left a mark on me. As I compare the culture I was born in, the one my parents left for a better future, and the one I learn in school, I continue to allow myself to welcome diverse perspectives.

Communication is tricky across borders. I learned this quickly in the streets of Jerusalem when my Uber driver responded “I don’t care my friend” when I asked why we weren’t following the rest of my family. I find that culture does not just define people’s livelihoods, but also their language. In Israel, people are blunt, and in other countries, like Japan, people are formal. As a global citizen, it is important that one can adapt to these cultural guidelines. This is a skill I practice at home, speaking on the phone with grandparents I see once every 3 years. Tamil comes in many dialects - including one that is meant to be used when speaking to elders. However, when I asked my grandma how she was doing, she burst out laughing. Suddenly, I was the kid who accidentally spoke formal Tamil to her immediate family, where it was typical to be casual. I learned quickly though, and I never made that mistake again. Through this personal experience, I believe I am capable of communicating my ideas in the global sphere. After all, it seems as though it is not simply knowing the language that is the most important but also being aware and respectful of the culture that comes along with it.

In 11th grade, I took AP Environmental Science as one of the two science classes I was taking that year. It was a class that taught me the intersection between the environment and all else - the economy, our history, and politics. My teacher was always insistent that our passion for the environment extends from advocacy to action. As a part of our first-semester final, we wrote letters to local political leaders on the local Snake River dams. I wrote about the Indigenous culture that was lost and the Salmon population that was decimated. Ultimately, the dams were doing more harm than good - they weren’t even providing great amounts of energy. My work in APES wasn’t just limited to policy though. I also took action by collecting trash on school grounds, tending to the greenhouse, and limiting my shower time. Mitigating climate change has become far too much about pointing fingers. APES taught me to fully understand that climate change is a problem solved by individual & collective responsibility. We cannot hold others accountable without looking inward first. Cleaning up just my high-school campus means cleaner streams, rivers, and oceans. Our environment is interconnected, meaning our actions in one place has a reverberating effect everywhere else - whether that be positive or negative.