What is your idea of perfect happiness? Perfect happiness to me is just a rainy day in the woods, not having anything specific to do and just being with people I love. I think being surrounded by people I feel happy and comfortable around and being cozy sounds perfect.

What is your greatest fear?
I think my greatest fear is not making the most of my life. I want to feel happy about the life I’ve led and feel like I’ve had all the experiences that I’ve longed for. And so the thing I think I’m most scared of is not achieving that.

What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I think my genuine inability to relax. I’m a very anxious person and I think I often want to just have fun with people and not worry about it. Often I’m unable to do that.

What trait do you most deplore in others?
Being really judgmental and not accepting what makes other people happy. A constant sort of judgment, mocking, and an inability for just genuine joy in something and not finding that embarrassing.

What is your current state of mind?
Something I’ve been focusing a lot on recently is trying to find as much joy as I can in every moment. Even if I’m having a bad day, like realizing that I can still take a moment and have a cup of tea, or like text a friend who makes me happy. There are changes I can make in order to be joyful and that’s okay. I don’t need to focus on schoolwork at all times, but instead I can focus on what I enjoy.

Which living person do you most admire?
I most admire people who are welcoming, kind and hardworking.

What is the quality you like most in a person?
Welcoming. I think when people are just willing to bring others into a space they inhabit and make them feel at home there. I really admire that, especially when people who have the power and authority in that space to welcome people do.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?
Orchestra might be the love of my life. The moment that you finish playing an orchestral piece, there’s a moment that the conductor still has their hands in the air, and you still have your bow on the string. Everyone’s just still but you know there’s about to be applause. That’s my love. That’s the love of my life.

When and where were you the happiest?
At the mountain school in Vermont. I spent a semester in Vermont on a farm. It wasn’t all perfect, and there were definitely struggles, but I think there was such an ability to find peace. It was such a small community in which we all cared for each other so deeply.

Where would you most like to live?
London. I really love London. It’s an important city.

What is your most treasured possession?
I have a little stuffed rabbit named Baxter, who I’ve had since I was like three or four. I don’t know where the name came from. I think I named him, which is kind of remarkable. But I still have him and I think he’s sort of utterly irreplaceable. Like, I couldn’t do anything if I lost him.

What do you most value in your friends?
I think a willingness to express love. I really enjoy being around people who I feel like I can just tell them how much I appreciate them. I think an open dialogue around just like emotions and like the enjoyment of friendship. That’s what I really appreciate.

What are your favorite names?
My dog’s name is Quigley. Which I think is quite a good name.

What is it you most dislike?
What I dislike is when I have to do things that feel both pointless and also have a strange importance to them. I mean, mostly school assignments, but when it’s something that I’m like, ‘I know this will have an impact on my grade and also feels like I’m not learning and like I’m not interested in it.’

What’s your favorite thing about yourself?
I’m good at spending time alone. That’s a good quality.

If you could change anything in the world, what would you change?
I mean, could I make selfishness go away? I think that’s what I do. Because I think that would in turn fix climate change and end world hunger. Yeah, that’s what I do.

If you were to die and come back as an animal, what animal would it be?
Probably a cat. But an outdoor cat, like I wouldn’t want to just be inside.

What talent would you most like to acquire?
I think to be a really excellent language learner. If I could easily pick up languages, I’d like that a lot.

Do you have a dream job?
Musician.

Who are your biggest inspirations in life?
My answer is like a person that no one’s gonna know because it’s someone who was a senior when I was a freshman at Pioneer. She is an excellent violinist and also one of the kindest people I’ve ever met. She’s a SMTD right now for violin and she’s honestly kind of my inspiration for both music and who I want to be in life.

What is your motto?
I guess to look for the little joys in life.