She was almost my age but how could I relate to her? We couldn’t talk about sports or movies or the latest video games. She couldn’t be a friend, or at least not by my definition of a “friend” at that time. I was too young to know what she could offer. What started as an obligatory 7th grade community service assignment resulted in one of the most profound experiences of my life. I was to help a...

As long as I can remember, I have wanted to make an impact on the world. I don’t want to just contribute to society, I want to change the way society works. Right now, there is a massive energy crisis. Although some argue the reality of global warming, nearly everyone is in agreement that our environment is being harmed by the drilling of oil and the burning of fossil fuels. Many scientists today are trying to find alternative energy...