My name is Katherine, but I prefer to be called Katie Leung and I am a Los Altos High School student. Although I may not be the best student with the best grades, I am always trying my best. I am somewhat of a quiet person, prone to stay in the background and rather talk one on one rather than a group of people. I always want people to feel comfortable, to allow them to lean on me for support if they need it. If I’m being honest, I know I don’t look that approachable a lot of the time, and seem like I don’t want to be talked to.  But in truth, I have lots of things to say, lots of interests and I’m always interested in what others have to say. 

My core values in my life that I wish to keep are kindness to others  as well as loyalty to my friends and family. I want to make people feel included , to feel heard and understood when they themselves don’t have the courage to speak up. Although that can also be me personally, I still want to try my best to be inclusive with everyone.

I have many hobbies outside of school, most of them being reading, writing, drawing, and horseback riding. To me, drawing and writing are like therapy to me. I create a world where I can exist or not. I can control the people I create and give them their own stories and design. I can be creative, writing whatever I have in mind and creating it into a story that I can share with others. I can get feedback to improve, praise to keep myself going in the art of writing and drawing. I do this with reading too, connecting my ideas as I get inspired by authors on my own stories. Horseback riding, something I’ve been doing for more than 13 years of my life. I’ve always admired horses, their beauty and their unique personalities. It ‘s my PE, but it’s something I actually enjoy. I am able to bond with the horses as well as meet new people, make friends and learn something new and improve each time. 

My expectations of myself at Freestyle Academy is to learn something new every time I go to my class or elective, which is film. I wish to get more confident as a person in speech and even simpler things like singing in front of other people and I think freestyle will aid me in my goal to come out of the shell I wrapped around myself. Currently, I can see myself growing more advanced in using the computer. At first, I had no idea how to use the MAC, but after a few months here, I’ve seen quite an improvement, like making this website.

Something I value about Freestyle Academy as a student is that I’m constantly learning something new, something interesting that I just know would help me in the future when I am searching for a job or whatever I choose to pursue. I will continue to grow in my knowledge, giving myself more and more of an advantage and opportunity to live as the person I want to be.