The Strings of Nature

I am a 13-year-old girl living in Yorba Linda, California. I think of myself as a curious person who likes to try new things. One of my hobbies is listening to audiobooks. I like to put them on while I'm in the car or just relaxing at home, and I can get through so many stories this way. My favorite subject at school is science because we get to do fun projects and experiments. On weekends, my family likes to play board games together, like Ticket to Ride or Monopoly. When I was younger, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut, but I get motion sick easily, so that's probably not the best career for me. Still, I love looking up at the stars and thinking about what's out there.

Many people play instruments. Some people play piano, some people play violin, but I play guzheng. Guzheng is a traditional Chinese instrument with 21 strings. It sounds like a harp and you need to wear fake nails like guitar picks to play it. I've been playing it since I was 4 years old. It has been a big part of my life and even if I travel to other countries on vacation, I always miss my guzheng. I've won multiple guzheng competitions in China. Even though I live in America, guzheng reminds me of my Chinese culture and I try to play it everyday. Guzheng has been a part of my life since I was little and I hope to play it for as long as I can.

Ever since I was young, I've always had a love for animals. I have many stuffed animals and have always dreamed of having a lot of pets or even opening my own zoo. In the summer of 2025, I volunteered at a panda rescue and rehabilitation center in China. I was able to see these animals up close and it made me realize how amazing they are. Animals are an important part of our community and if they start going extinct, the world will change too. I hope to protect animals and help others understand how important they are.