This was a great year with some pivots! Despite my intense interest in video games and artificial intelligence, I decided to formally declare Political Science and History while also working towards the Five Colleges International Relations certificate. Instead of studying in Spain, I chose to remain at Amherst this fall where I took an introductory economics class, and classes on American foreign policy, the rise of Vladimir Putin, and a unique class on the nineteenth century Ottoman Empire, and what it means to be modern. I am working on a thesis on populism and polarization in the United States, with an eye towards publishing in the spring. In January 2025, I am excited to begin my spring semester in the Social Sciences and Humanities program at the University of Amsterdam, where I registered for several classes covering Dutch politics, the history of political thought, and authoritarian governments. Over the summer, I was awarded a 2024 Sheldon Hackney Education Fellowship at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, where I helped design their summer programming, designed course materials, and taught students and summer visitors about Island history. I also returned to Amherst for my second year as an Orientation leader for new first years and worked as a peer tutor covering study skills and time management. My hope for next summer is to secure a summer internship in Washington, D.C. with a local politician or think tank. Outside of class, I’ve continued to run and engage in my college community. In April 2024, I ran the Boston Marathon, finishing in the top 900 out of 30,000 runners. I also ran the Berlin Marathon, and thoroughly enjoyed exploring the city. In April 2025, I will be racing in the London Marathon, while plans are in the works to race Chicago and New York in the fall. None of this would have been possible without the support of MVYouth, and I continue to be grateful.