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Amy Zhao

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Elementary School: King (K-1); Baldwin (2-5); Kennedy-Longfellow (6-8)
College: Harvard University
Major: Economics
Career Aspiration: Undecided

Extra Curricula
Fencing Club (founder & captain), National Honor Society Treasurer, Volunteer in the Pearl K. Wise Library, Boston Fencing Club (member and captain outside of school)

Favorite Class at CRLS
Psychology. Psychology is an elegant science that studies the mind and behaviors and seeks to understand humans and societies at their greatest and at their most vulnerable. Why do we make the decisions that we do? What are the different types of intelligence? What is the secret to happiness? Psychology attempts to answer all of the above, and more, with differing opinions from qualified experts that generate the most thoughtful of discussions. Most of all, the things that you learn provide a small peephole into your own mind, and that, perhaps, is the most valuable insight of all.

Favorite Teacher
I’ve had so many phenomenal and influential teachers, so I’m going to pick three: Mr. Patterson, Ms. Hughes, and Dr. Weaver.

Mr. Patterson is the best math teacher I have ever had, and the teacher from whom I have learned the most. His class is where creativity seeps into mathematics. Different methods to solve a problem or prove an equation are not just tolerated, they are encouraged. Students try to think outside of the box. He is a teacher who shines a light on the beauty of mathematics and the thinking process behind the fancy integrals and derivatives.

Ms. Hughes opened the floodgates of literary creativity for me. Her incredible enthusiasm and ability to read the text in a myriad of ways astounded me the very first week of her English 11 class. She possesses a passion and zeal for appreciating, analyzing and criticizing literature, and her insights into the texts always go above and beyond what I had previously thought possible. In her class, I began to feel comfortable criticizing and disagreeing with different canonical pieces, something I had never even thought to do before.

Dr. Weaver was really the first teacher I got to know on a personal level. I took her US History I class, then APUSH, and then I went back to be her TA. She cultivated a sense of independence and confidence in me, even when APUSH was at its toughest, and she has always treated me as an equal. I enjoy teaching with her in APUSH immensely. We try to plan together, solve problems together, and we share our ideas with each other openly and freely. I am so glad that I chose to be her TA.

What did you like most about CRLS? Why?
The openness in classrooms. The discussion is open, ranging from economics to current events to history; hardly any topic is taboo. There are always people willing to put out their opinion and respectfully listen, and there are people willing to play devil’s advocate to deepen the thought and increase the quality of discussion. We tackle the achievement gap, the ERA, the question of free will and all sorts of topics while we study. The information we read and learn becomes personal and relevant through the profound discussions we have.

What is something people unfamiliar with CRLS should know about the school? Why?
There are so, so many resources in the Pearl K. Wise library. There are books for fun, academic books, test prep books, computers, tutors...etc. I volunteered there for two years, and I feel that many resources are not fully taken advantage of. Especially the test prep books.

Advice to Incoming Freshmen
Don’t be afraid to try anything new! High school is a daunting time, but it’s also a new time where you can try all different things. Don’t rule anything out. There are so many clubs and teams to choose from, and you can even start your own. Don’t have regrets: four years pass in the blink of an eye, and the last thing that you want is to have let the time slip by without having tried what you wanted to try. And most of all, join the fencing club!

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