-Name, age, grade, city of residenceLexi Julien, 17, 12th grade, Santa Cruz
-What inspires you?
When someone is truly excited and passionate about something. It is amazing to watch how passion can transform someone, and nothing inspires me more than seeing one’s inner light shine through when they are doing what they love.
-What is your favorite subject in school, and why?
English has always been my favorite subject. I really enjoy dissecting literature to find its deeper meanings, and I have a passion for writing—there is nothing that I enjoy more than having a pen in hand and a pad of paper at my disposal.
-If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?
I would change the negative connotation surrounding the word ‘vulnerability.’ Many of the world’s biggest issues are due to a lack of vulnerable leadership, as most people are afraid to admit to their mistakes and weaknesses. Rather than admitting we are wrong or that we need help, we try to cover our tracks by putting up a false shield of seeming invincibility that only serves as our downfall. If we as a society could start to embrace our vulnerabilities rather than trying to hide them away, I truly believe we would start to see positive change in our world.
-If you could go anywhere, where would you go?I would love to visit Cornwall, Canada, where my dad was born and where some members of my family who I have never met still live.
-Name one big challenge in your life right now:
Waiting to hear back from colleges is a huge challenge for me right now. Having no clue about where I will be going come this August is terrifying, and I don’t enjoy being in this state of unknown.
-What is your dream job?
My dream job is to work for Doctors Without Borders, while also being a novelist on the side.
-What are your three favorite things?
1. When my friends surprise me by randomly showing up at my house
2. Leggings and baggy sweatshirts
3. Drinking Earl Grey tea while reading a good book
-Favorite book:Any of John Steinbeck’s novels (particularly The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men ).
-What do you want to do after high school?
After graduation, I am going to go to college and pursue a major in English, while also taking the classes I need in order to attend medical school. I’m hoping to use my time in college to pursue my passion for writing while also preparing for a career in the field of emergency medicine.
-Something that makes you smile:Witty puns
-A favorite MMS memory – and why?
I came to Mount Madonna halfway through my freshman year, just as Ramayana! auditions were about to start. I had never heard of the Ramayana! before, and I hadn’t been in a play since I was in first grade. The months leading up to the June performance were filled with learning and adjustment as I attempted to understand both the play I had been thrown into and my new school. When we got to June and the curtain finally closed after Sunday’s show, I remember looking around and seeing the tears in people’s eyes—seniors crying after their final Ramayana!, parents crying after watching their kids perform and me. I felt tears running down my own cheeks as I watched the people around me – I was so filled with awe at the love and appreciation that was in the room. What has made this memory stay with me is that it was the first time I truly understood what it meant to be a part of Mount Madonna, to be a part of the community and what it means to be included in this amazing thing we have up on the mountain. I felt a deep sense of gratitude in that moment, and every time I reflect on that memory I am reminded of why I love Mount Madonna so much and why it holds such a special place in my heart.
-Top three most played songs on your iTunes or iPod: Cardiac Arrest by The Bad Suns
Midnight in Her Eyes by The Black Keys
Hurricane by MS MR
