Experience
Backpacking in Alaska during the summer of 2024
Fall 2025I spent last fall at HMI, a semester school in Leadville, Colorado (the tallest town in America), with 27 students from across the country—a sharp contrast to the 2,000-student public high school I’d known for two years. Discussion-based classes, sometimes just three of us, ran alongside ten days in the backcountry. Monday morning I might be scrambling eggs with my history teacher talking about reconstruction; by Thursday, miles into the mountains, carrying everything I needed on my back. Conversations with teachers flowed as easily on canyon paths as they did in the classroom.
The jagged terrain and lengthy treks forced me and my classmates to quickly gain comfort sharing our closest held opinions, unafraid to argue through the last mile.
Model United Nations, Undersecretary-General
2024 - PresentI didn’t make Highland Park’s Model UN team as a freshman. That’s not unusual — HPHS is competitive, locally and nationally, and we win nationals almost every year. I finally joined as a sophomore. The team throws new members straight into public speaking; in my first week, the senior members gave me a random topic and I was expected to argue until they told me to stop.
This year, at the National High School Model United Nations — the largest high school Model UN conference in the world — our delegation earned 1st place overall. I personally won 3rd out of 100-plus competitors, arguing tariff policy. I was selected to address the plenary comprised of 3,000-plus delegates, the full conference in one room.
Now I serve as Undersecretary-General, selecting and training new members of the team.
2025 - PresentAfter searching for ways to get involved in my community's environmental initiatives, I learned about the Sustainability Advisory Group. Since my appointment as one of two student advisors, I have attended meetings at city hall with fellow community members. Collaborating with the facilities team, I helped launch a composting initiative at my high school.
Seeing the power of a combined community voice, it was inspiring to sit next to my friend's father, also a part of the group, and advocate together for sustainability.
Future Leaders in Planning (FLIP) - Summer 2025Growing up just outside Chicago, I'd always been curious about what makes a city function. When I found the FLIP urban planning fellowship, I applied immediately. Once selected, I spent time at the old post office and neighborhoods across the city alongside students from all over Chicagoland, getting an inside look at what urban planners actually do. The experience reshaped how I see every day details, noticing the outsized impact small design choices have on disabled residents' lives: such as the tactile bumps at the edge of a sidewalk for people with visual impairments. We explored neighborhoods like West Garfield Park, where I saw firsthand how planners are working to rebuild and reinvest in communities that have long been overlooked.
Tamarak Day Camp, Lincolnshire, IL
Summer 2025My first paid full-time job was working as a summer camp counselor for twenty 10-year-olds at Tamarak Day Camp. My mom, brothers, aunts, and uncles all attended Tamarak, and from ages 3–7, and so did I. It’s where I learned to swim and first formed a connection with the outdoors. Returning as a counselor gave me the chance to be an older brother for the first time. As the youngest of four, my counselor position offered a new point of view. I also served as a bus supervisor, dropping off and picking up campers everyday while keeping the ride fun with games and music. I was in charge of safety: buckle first, and keep everyone comfortable, especially the ones battling homesickness.
Senior P.E. Leader, Highland Park High School
OngoingThe P.E. Leader program at my school is designed to help students navigate the transition to high school. I was selected by the P.E. faculty to co-mentor underclassmen, sharing insights from my own experience and building connections with younger students. The selection was competitive, only half of the applicants were chosen. In the spring, I'll also serve as a lifeguard during the swimming unit. My own P.E. Leader freshman year became a friend and a great role model — I hope to do the same for my class.
Co-Alumni Class Coordinator, Lake Forest Country Day School
2023 - PresentDuring the pandemic, I attended Lake Forest Country Day School in a nearby town — small classes, a real emphasis on writing, and a brand new set of friends. To keep pace with my peers in the Spanish program, I studied independently for a semester and caught up on two years of material. When I graduated, the school appointed me to help build community among its alumni. Title or not, I enjoy keeping the class connected.
