Who am I? That’s a great question. Upon hearing this question, I begin to think about my birth date, my birth place, my favorite holiday, the places I’ve lived in, etc. But of course, there is a lot more about me than just a bunch of numbers and dates. I have hobbies, multiple personalities, strengths, weaknesses, dreams, and plans. At first glance, I appear to be very boring and one dimensional. Some may say I fade into the background, but I assure you, I am a lot more interesting and complex than most think I am. 

Back when I had a lot free time, which was before I entered high school, I began to pick on a couple hobbies. One of the hobbies that I still do quite frequently is drawing. I am not sure why, but something about drawing is therapeutic to me and helps me reduce my stress level. Though I am not very good at it, it helps me get through the toughest of times. Another hobby of mine that I thoroughly enjoy is music. Whenever I pick up my viola and begin to play, I get rushed with a feeling of pure bliss. Even my brother constantly tells me that my music sounds like a dying chicken, I just drown out his rude remarks by playing instrument even louder. While none of my hobbies don’t further my academic career, they both boost my morale, and that is what matters most to me.

One aspect of my personality that most people don’t know about me is that I am hybrid of an introvert and an extrovert. I suppose I am sort of an ambivert. While I love going out with my friends and family, sometimes I would rather prefer spend my Friday nights in my warm, cozy bed with a Stephen King novel in my hands and a luke-warm bowl of chicken soup in my lap. My extrovert personality tends to come out when I am with people that I am feel familiar with. I am the type of person that needs to sit back and observe my environment. I promise you though, before the school year ends, I will be one of the people that constantly engage in class discussions, and not the person who sits and waits for others to share their answers.

Since I was little, I have always loved reading books. However, at some point, my interest in reading faded away. Luckily, my 8th grade English teacher Ms. Chalupsky reignited my love for reading, converting me into a born-again reader. The book that really impacted was To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Not only did the book change my views on how captivating books can be, but it also changed my views on injustice and racism. It really exposed me to the "evil" in the world that my parents had been trying to protect me from.

It was also in my eighth grade year that I learned of my strengths and weaknesses in English. I entered a couple creative writing and poetry contests and took home a few prizes. However, prior to submitting, I had a family friend, who was majoring in English at the time, proofread my writing. When he returned my paper, it seemed as though she painted my whole paper. Upon further inspection, I had realized that I had made countless spelling and grammar mistakes. To this day, I still make some of those same grammar and spelling mistakes. But I do want to let you know that I am working on improving on those of areas of English. The only problem is that it is a very slow process for me. Hopefully through your class, it will accelerate my grammar and spelling process. 

Like many people today, I intend on going to college. My dream school is UCLA, but I highly doubt I would be qualified enough to make it in. Even if I do get in, the tuition to go there is very high, which is why it would be ideal if I got some sort of scholarship at UCLA, which is also a very unlikely outcome. Not to be a pessimist or anything, but the acceptance rate is 18 percent. I’ve never beat odds lower than 50 percent. When I enter college, I plan on majoring in biology and minoring in journalism. While I do have a big heart for the medical field, a little piece of me wants to go into investigative journalism. Not only do I find it exciting chasing down leads, but I get the privilege of telling a person’s story. Though it’s going to be a long time before I reach those points in life, it never hurts to plan ahead.

All in all, these pastimes, behaviors, strengths, weaknesses, and pursuits all are their own separate puzzle pieces. When put together, they make up the complex and unique person that is me. I am Joshua Hwang, and this is who I am.