Student profile

Accepted into Boston University

GPA: 3.5

SAT/ACT: 1480

Extracurricular activities: Team America Rocketry Challenge, Cross Country, 3D Animation Club: Treasurer, Volunteer


Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?



I never imagined, my first internship would involve cryptocurrency--a form of decentralized online currency which was historically used to fund illegal activities. I also never imagined that I would love working at a six-month-old startup with others working from far-flung locations across multiple time zones. 


My cryptocurrency adventure began when my father mentioned meeting the CEO of a startup. He was intrigued by the fact that this company wasn’t looking for any funding. When I heard the story, I was intrigued by the business model, a company that makes money by creating money. I decided to write to the CEO to get more information about Metal--an ironic name for a cryptocurrency company--and, to my surprise, he not only responded to my inquiry, and asked if  I would be interested in interviewing for an internship. While I had planned to intern at a biotech company given my interest in the life sciences, this opportunity proved too exciting to pass up.  


Initially, I didn’t think I had the skills required at a cryptocurrency startup. I did not consider myself to be an avid developer and I had not taken any finance or economics courses, yet there was something about this startup that excited me. I decided to interview with the team. When I got the internship, I was eager to learn as much as possible. Taking the train into San Francisco everyday, I was energized from watching the team take risks, work hard on a daily basis to make the business work. This experience opened up my world and changed me in several positive ways.


After working with Metal for about 12 weeks, I not only learned a lot about being part of startup company and the cryptocurrency industry, I also learned a lot about myself. I discovered that a successful startup requires intense teamwork, risk-taking, adaptability, excellent communication skills from all critical members. From the CEO, I saw how he set the direction and valuing each team members opinions, including my own.


At first, I did whatever was needed; responding to emails, organizing t-shirt giveaways, or putting together office furniture. Yet after a few weeks, team members recognized that Metal could benefit from my perspective and coding skills. I got involved with UI prototyping, which involved creating prototypes of our designer’s ideas. I started beta testing the software and documenting the bugs found by other testers.  While working as a UI prototyper, I recognized the need to frequently collaborate with co-workers to gather input. Occasionally, their feedback required me to change course and adapt before moving forward. I was eager to play a key role and did not mind putting in extra hours (even over the weekend) to work toward our common deadlines. Through this experience, I gained a new sense of confidence in myself. I discovered that I am not only a quick learner but I also have the ability to adapt and communicate effectively with others. My experiences encouraged me to take on new challenges and truly believe that all ideas are worth sharing and listening to.  

 

Today I continue to build on my confidence, push my limits rather than take the easy road. In school, I am taking four AP classes, exploring new subjects like AP Economics, in addition to, running with our Cross Country team, holding a leadership position on our high school Rocket Club and applying to colleges. With hobbies, like piano, I am learning to compose my own music rather than only play music from my favorite composers, like Beethoven, Kabalevsky or Debussy.  This is the busiest I have been, yet I am thriving with these challenges. Today I am much better at managing my time, pushing my own limits and beginning to discover my true potential. I know I have a lot more to learn but with my new sense of confidence, I also know that I also have have a lot to contribute.