One of my favorite books is Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. It describes two women: Julie (whose code name is Verity), a British spy and interrogator, and Maddie, a British pilot. Against the backdrop of a gruesome war, they quickly became close friends. For much of my young adulthood, novels set during World War Two have been captivating. I’m fascinated by the intricacies of human relationships, which become even more complex during harrowing events like war. Julie narrates the development of her friendship with Maddie and her experience as a war prisoner of the Gestapo. She shows constant bravado and snark even in the face of death, but her backstory reveals how deeply terrified she always has been. I share her habit of masking anxiety and fear with false bravery and sarcasm. This book was inspiring in how truly brave she was able to be despite her terror. It was revealed that she was actually hiding information for the British in her so-called confessions to the Nazis. While the main plot was the nail-biting story of a captured spy and the ensuing rescue mission, the underlying theme of the book was the depth of friendship between the two main characters. Romantic interests are never brought up, instead focusing on their selfless love for one another. This culminates at the end, when Maddie shoots Julie in order to prevent her future torture. While I neither anticipate nor hope to be in a similar situation, the focus on female friendship is deeply inspiring. This focus is what has driven me to reread Code Name Verity countless times.

One of the most inspiring books I have read is Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. It describes two women: Julie (whose code name is Verity), a British spy and interrogator, and Maddie, a British pilot. Against the backdrop of a gruesome war, they quickly became close friends. For much of my young adulthood, novels set during World War Two have been captivating. I’m fascinated by the intricacies of human relationships, which become even more complex during harrowing events like war. Julie narrates the development of her friendship with Maddie and her experience as a war prisoner of the Gestapo. She shows constant bravado and snark even in the face of death, but her backstory reveals how deeply terrified she always has been. I share her habit of masking anxiety and fear with false bravery and sarcasm. This book was inspiring in how truly brave she was able to be — despite her terror, she was actually hiding information for the British in her so-called confessions to the Nazis. While the main plot was the nail-biting story of a captured spy and the ensuing rescue mission, the underlying theme of the book was the depth of friendship between the two main characters. Romantic interests are never brought up, instead focusing on their selfless love for one another. This culminates at the end, when Maddie shoots Julie in order to prevent her future torture. While I neither anticipate nor hope to be in a similar situation, the focus on female friendship is deeply inspiring. This focus is what has driven me to reread Code Name Verity countless times.

My favorite way to help others is to teach. Education is vital to community advancement — people’s lives can almost always be improved by learning something. It is incredibly fulfilling to be able to help people with knowledge I already have. My favorite part of teaching is seeing people’s happiness when they use their newfound skills. My grandfather couldn’t travel from India to be with us due to COVID-19, but his children (including my dad) met up. Later, I showed him how to take Facetime photos. I still remember the look of sheer joy on his face as he was able to preserve the image of his closest family together, even though he couldn’t see it in person. Throughout the past five years, I have tutored peers, high school students, and middle school students on a variety of academic subjects. When I understand something, I’m in a position to help other people succeed in the same way. I have also taught my grandmother how to use YouTube. She loves listening to music, but she grew up with only the radio, and struggled to adapt to the streaming world. Slowly, I helped her make specialized playlists that she now uses on a daily basis. She listens to music now while cooking, exercising, and sometimes even to fall asleep. I hope that in the future, I can continue teaching people as a doctor. Specifically, I want to teach my patients about their bodies and their medical conditions. I believe that this will foster truly healthy lifestyles, and help build trust between us.

One year ago, during winter break, I wore an oversized sweatshirt — warm and fleece-lined. I was leaning into my dad on one side and hugging my mom on the other, while all three of us were cuddled under a blanket on our sofa. We had just finished a big meal of biriyani (my mom’s specialty Indian dish), capped with peppermint hot chocolate. The snow fell slowly through the kitchen window as we rewatched my favorite episode of Parks and Recreation for at least the ninth time. We were drowsy, warm, and happy.