Tag: Extra Curricular

How do you butter your bread?

December 2024

Today, I had the chance to chat with one of our Social Studies teachers, Michael Dickerson. He recently started hosting a series of table conversations during his free periods at school. He mentioned that some days he plans to invite guest speakers to join him, while on others, he’ll simply sit and chat with students about social studies and life in general.

Our conversation drifted toward senior year, college applications, and future plans. Amidst the stacks of social studies books on his table, I noticed a collection of Dr. Seuss books. Curious, I asked him about them.

He explained that Dr. Seuss often incorporates social lessons into his whimsical rhymes, crafting stories that entertain while teaching important messages. He handed me The Butter Battle Book to read, promising it would be worth my time.

What can I say? I really enjoyed it. The book is an allegory of the Cold War, illustrating the senseless escalation of a conflict between two groups over something as trivial as how they butter their bread. It depicts an absurd arms race that spirals toward inevitable destruction, with Zooks and Yooks divided by a wall and endlessly inventing more destructive devices.

It left me thinking—why don’t we make every politician read this book?

Making New Waves

December 2024

I’ve always been drawn to the water—whether it’s rowing, swimming, snorkeling, or even just relaxing in a tub. According to my parents, my first swimming adventure was at 7 months old in the Aegean Sea, and judging by the picture of me snorkeling at age 9, it’s clear that my love for the water has only grown.

During summers, my dad and I take this passion to another level. We swim 2.5 miles every day, starting with a jump into the sea, swimming to the next town, stopping for a quick breakfast, and then swimming back to our apartment. It’s become a tradition that combines endurance, bonding, and a deep appreciation for the open water.

This winter, I decided to push myself further. Instead of spending the season rowing indoors, I joined the swim team to try something new and challenge myself / make new waves. For the past three weeks, I’ve been practicing six days a week for three hours a day, enduring intensive drills that have tested my limits.

Today marked my first official swim meet. I raced in four freestyle events, finishing in the middle of the pack—3rd or 4th in each event. For my first time competing, I’m proud of how far I’ve come and excited to keep improving.

  • 50 meters free style
  • 100 meters free style
  • 4 x 50 meters relay
  • 4 x 100 meters relay

Summer Program at Sabanci University

June 2023

I attended the Summer Program at Sabanci University in Istanbul. The program was designed for High School students who would like to take college level courses and experience college life. The courses were in English, taught by actual college professors. They have shortened and condensed the actual introductory course to a 2-week curriculum, 10-hours total.

There were 700 high school students attending the Summer Program at the same time as me. Each student had selected their own 3 courses to follow. We stayed at the dorms, ate at the cafeterias, and had our own daily course program to follow. Each night after dinner time, they had some activities for kids to entertain like live music, DJs, cinemas, or sports events.

It was really a good experience. I made new friends, some from the US like me, some across other parts of the world, and some from Turkey.

I completed the following courses:

Psyschology
Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Visiting Georgia Tech – Bee & Me

May 2023

This June while visiting Atlanta, I had a chance to stop by Georgia Tech. A family friend who is a recent graduate gave us a campus tour and answered my questions about studying engineering, internship options, and student life. Despite being a public school Georgia Tech had a very impressive campus and modern architecture. I especially loved the Georgia Tech Library, the view of the city from the top floor was amazing.