Before my older sister started her application process, I never knew i2, let alone the enhancement it would bring to my high school experience at Sacred Heart Cathedral…
In the fall, the entire nation was coming out of lockdown, as I began my high school application process. Filling out applications was the least stressful part of the journey, as I “put my best foot forward,” expressing interest in i2. Once I realized that all i2 students required at least a 90th-percentile score on the HSPT, studying overwhelmed my entire schedule. Over the next few months, I took practice test upon practice test, knowing that if I didn’t score well, my i2 journey would never become reality. By the time December came, however, I felt more confident than ever, leaving every ounce of doubt at the entrance of the testing room.
Spring of 2022 arrived, as I received my acceptance letter, ecstatic to know that I had been accepted into both SHC and the i2 program. As my 8th grade year continued, I remembered my teachers’ lectures enforcing the idea that high school would be extremely difficult compared to middle school. The path would become steeper, but I was convinced I was prepared for it.
The start of my journey as a member of the Fighting Irish has been truly unique and incredible, almost on the edge of indescribable. High school is a stressful time, full of homework, adjusting to a new schedule, and making new friends. However, my parents have always taught me that “every experience is what you make of it.” I’ve taken their advice, making high school one of the best experiences of my life, with i2 being a main contributor. On top of the schoolwork, i2 requires a yearly passion project from all i2 scholars. As my 9th grade project, I’ve decided to work with my sister, to strengthen our bond as siblings and to serve the SHC community together, inputting both our ideas into the unbounded function of innovation.
As an i2 scholar, it became my ultimate goal to not only follow in my sister’s footsteps, but to also serve the community through innovation. I hope to become an inspiration to others, as my sister was an inspiration to me. The world needs more inquisitive and curious minds that are determined to benefit our world in the fields of science, math, history, and language. And with an inquisitive mind, who knows what innovations lie ahead?