A Leap of Fate It was another beautiful day of school and, lucky for me, a free day in gym class. A few guys and I got into a game of tag, for some reason reliving our elementary days. I ended up on the bleachers with an ally on my side and “It” hot on our heels. We got to the stairs and my friend jumped, escaping. I looked back and saw I was trapped, with “It” coming right at...

Two Worlds I pity zoo animals. With most of them taken away from their motherland at a young age, but always identified with that lost home, they must wonder what are they. When is an Asian elephant living in Germany not Asian anymore and when does a Siberian tiger living in Australia become Australian? As a Somali immigrant, I can relate to their struggle. I’m often confronted with the question of my national identity, being stuck in between two...

Human Geology People are a lot like rocks. At least that’s what I told my science teacher in middle school. We both have families (rocks have classifications), we’re both hard to break (well most rocks), and we both travel (wind carries rocks). What separates us is our ability to reflect. Looking back, when I first walked into high school I had it all scripted. They would be four simple, fun years filled with friends and school work mixed...

I was an unusual applicant given my circumstances, and I used what made me different to my advantage. I detailed...