Hi everyone, I’m Danielle. I’ve been dreading all this summer homework for quite some time now, but who isn’t? 

So, let me start with this summer - I believe it gives a pretty good summary of who I am. I started off by going to SLS, a leadership seminar at West Point, aka boot camp with a few classes mixed in. Let’s just say that after the 4:30 and 5:00 AM wake up times, I am certain that West Point is not the college for me, but it was a good experience nonetheless. Next I went to the Dominican Republic where I volunteered at the Somos Amigos medical and dental clinic (http://somosamigos.org/). I went on this same trip last June and fell in love with the community of Naranjito which we served. It was especially interesting because I hope to become a physician in the future, and it gave me a small taste of clinical work when I interpreted for a cardiologist last year, and then a pediatrician this past June. Here are some pictures: 

    

(btw, I started a club at school for this organization last year, so join it and help us raise money for these people who without us, would not have medical or dental care!)

The rest of my summer was devoted to tennis and work, which are pretty much one in the same. Each day I would be at the courts from 9 to 5 - coaching little kids in the morning, and playing in the afternoon. Most of my weekends were spent at tennis tournaments, as I tried to improve my ranking to better my chances of playing collegiate tennis. I have been playing since I was seven years old, but somehow there is ALWAYS something that needs some work or could use a small adjustment. But recently I have found great joy in playing, and I know that tennis will be a sport I will play and enjoy for the rest of my life. Just a side note, my favorite tennis player is Roger Federer, the best man on tour in my opinion. Just check out this video, seriously amazing (even for non tennis people)...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzNCN3WGGJg. 

I have also begun to volunteer at CARE, which is an equitherapy (horse therapy) ranch for children with mental and physical disabilities. I love horses, but I don’t ride anymore, because high school and other things have gotten in the way.

Most recently, I’ve been finishing up all my AP summer homework, which leads me into a very big part of my life: school. I have always been very dedicated and very much a perfectionist when it comes to my school work. My high school schedules have been challenging since freshman year, but I enjoy working hard (most of the time). My biggest hope, is that all my hard work pays off (the greatest reward would have to be an acceptance letter from Stanford - fingers crossed) http://www.stanford.edu/. In college (wherever I go) I would like to major in either biology, chemistry, or biochem. I consider myself a very logical person (English and Art are not my fortes).

I also hope that my future profession will allow me to use my spanish to help those who are not familiar with English. My mom is from Chile, making me bilingual - something I tremendously appreciate. My dad is from Slovakia, but unfortunately that language did not get passed down. Maybe someday I’ll learn it. 

My family loves to travel, so I’ve been fortunate enough to have visited Chile, Italy, Greece, Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Brazil, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. I believe that all cultures are beautiful and must be appreciated, even those that are far different from our own. 

Lastly, I like ice cream, laughing, sudoku, and I dislike drama, debating, and pushups.  

--Danielle Mirda