3D Art Elective (2024, 7th grade)
During the second half of my 7th grade school year, students were allowed to take electives they had not tried in the previous semester. The elective I chose was 3D Art, after I had already completed my Young Chefs elective in the fall.
In this elective, students were able to create images and art pieces while experimenting with different mediums such as clay, random materials, and other 3 dimensional objects. Two projects are pictured here.
Goldfish Canvas Relief
Award: Scholastic Art & Writing Awards 2025, Honorable Mention (Mixed Media)
The first project done in our 3D Art class was the canvas relief, where we took a standard canvas and made an art piece using miscellaneous items. In particular, I settled on making a goldfish in the water scene, using the “ryukin” goldfish as a guide.
I elevated the cardboard-based fish using foam sheets, layering them under it. I covered the fish in “scales” made out of plastic fragments, pear beads, paper shaped into flat cones, and tissue to mimic the real fish’s texture. I also used the same plastic as well as a pipe cleaner to make the vegetation found on the canvas as well. Upon finishing my piece, I approached a friend and asked her if anything seemed to be missing, as I felt the entire art piece was lacking in a sense. After hearing her suggestion, I added bubbles made out of hot glue, plastic water bottles, some sand, and a lighter portion on the dark background to highlight the fish.
Penguin Plaster Cast Planter Head
Included here as a video, my penguin planter head was made in the later part of the elective. We used plaster cast on a balloon to make the shape, as well as add components such as a bowl for an added height. Originally, our art instructor had wanted to have us make human heads with a neck as the planter, but after I inquired about making animals or objects instead, she complied and allowed us to do so.
This specific penguin was a penguin character that I enjoyed to draw; a product of my imagination named “pengdaengi”. Its name was formulated out of the Korean word for penguin, and a word “daengdaengi”. I mixed multiple acrylic paints to create the color, some details such as the beak made out of Model Magic clay and the bow made out of a foam sheet. A large hole was made in the head so that we could place some plants, and our projects were displayed in a shelf in our art instructor’s classroom.
Cover Design (2025, 8th grade)
Role: Year Book Cover Design Contest Winner
Medium: Colored pencil on paper
Because of a switching of teachers, a new idea was proposed for a yearbook cover contest to be held. During this time, I was actively on my school’s yearbook committee, and felt interested, as it was my last year at the school.
Using the school year’s theme of “one” (as in united together), I decided to design my cover with all aspects of our school – its religious aspect, sports, academics, arts, leadership (pictured as the navy logo of the National Junior Honor Society), and music together into one page of cardstock.
As the yearbook committee reached its peak working season, it was revealed that I had won the contest, and would thus be included in the final issue.
Black History Month Post Stamp Design (2025, 8th grade)
Medium: Colored pencil on paper
For Black History Month, our literature teacher assigned a new project seperate from our studies. We would need to research and draw a black figure who made significant contributions for the community, in a post stamp, mural (with multiple people), or sports card medium. I decided to do my project on Coco Jones, a woman I admired. Below is what I wrote on the back of my stamp:
“I chose Coco Jones because not only is she an iconic artist and actress who has made revolutionary music, but she is also an advocate and a contributor to the black community. Constantly looking for equal opportunities for black women, Jones has looked to fight against colorism and become a leader for young girls to look up to. As a winner of five Grammy awards, a platinum single, and multiple song peaking at #1 on the Billboard R&B Airplay Chart, there is no doubt that Coco Jones is talented. With her talent and influence in the industry, she has seen adversity but also many movements for black women in Hollywood.
Recalling her young age and experiences in Disney, Jones has seen firsthand the difficulties and tribulations black women face trying to reach success. Because of this, Jones has actively tried to inspire others to try, pushing her career and acting. She aspires to fight colorism, describing the fight she faced; “As a dark-skinned actor, you’re pretty much starting from zero every single time. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done or what your resume says, a lot of the determining factors for being ‘qualified’ are out of your control, no matter how much time and effort you put into the script” (Jones). By creating monumental moments for the women of the black community, Coco Jones has been an inspiration for people to look up to.”
Clarinet (2021 - 2025, 5th - 8th grade)
Role: Soloist, Clarinet Player
Bb Clarinet, Blue Band (Advanced Band) at Campbell Christian School (2022 - 2025)
Bb Clarinet, Red Band (Beginning Band) at Campbell Christian School (2021 - 2022)
Red Band, offered to 5th grade (2021), was an introductory band where members learned how to play their instruments. After a series of tests, it was possible to move into Blue Band; the advanced band offered to grades 6-8th (2022 - 2025).
In my 7th grade year, I was able to secure a solo position in our first song with a solo, “Scooby Doo, Where are You?” which we played at the spring concert. Following this, in 8th grade, I was also able to play a solo in “Blessing”, in our Christmas concert (videos depicted).
In “Blessing”, I was able to play a solo part following another clarinetist, along with some string players. Then, as mentioned in the video, the clarinet soloists played a duet, then were accompanied by flutes, then by the entire band.
Mars Colony Habitat (2021, 4th grade)
A Johns Hopkins CTY course I took in 2021 was Project Mars—a course where students discussed what life would be like if humans were to colonize Mars, along with possible setbacks or design choices we could make. We made multiple models of spacecraft, parachutes, and machines throughout the course. Our final project consisted of creating a Mars colony habitat, which I had created out of clay, discarded plastic containers, and textured spray paint on a foam board.
Throughout the course, we had our main goal set on creating a final project of the Mars colony habitat, which we had spent time researching and discussing over to perfect.
The video on the very top shows the explanation for each of the components I had included, as well as what materials I used. This was the video I had submitted as my final project on the class page.
Below are four included media of the project, which I spent effort on to make as realistic to Mars as possible. Here, I have also documented the process of making the project, as well as what it looked like in the early stages.
Finally, the last three videos were of minor projects assigned as homework during the course, which included:
a parachute testing video (safety modeled by an egg contained in it)
a rocket video using chemical reactions in a container
a rocket video using straws and a target
All of these procedures helped me study more about how these instruments in space were able to work, and gave me a better grasp on the scientific process.
Link: Evaluation report
Musical Guys and Dolls Jr. (2022, 6th grade)
Role: Ensemble (Dancer 7)
In my 6th grade year, I performed my school’s version of “Guys and Dolls Jr.” with the company Starting Arts. I was part of the ensemble as a female dancer character, and had a great time dancing along with the others.
It was amazing to be a part of a set, practicing and building to perfect the show for opening night. Specifically, I remember walking across the campus to get to our building, where we practiced in front of the mirror in our music room. We danced around, in the dark room, prancing and sashaying in our beat counts. The last week was filled with costumes, mics, and run-throughs, the opening night like a final topper on our effort.
It was a beautiful experience to work with others and practice hard for a big goal!
Concrete Fountain (2020, 3rd grade)
In 2020, I took a camp from the Galileo organization where students learned for a brief period on how to create a working fountain out of concrete, tubes, and water. The fountain itself was functional and used a type of motor to run.
This course was formatted in a how-to style, including step-by-step instruction from the teacher who would model the steps to us. However, some room for creativity was allowed, as no specific shape or size was ever mentioned (other than ratios, of course). Using the ingredients from the list that was sent out to us, I followed the instructor’s guide and created my fountain at home. This was during quarantine, and an online course was the only way to achieve this.
Here, three videos are attached of the final project, and the process of which I had created it. For some assistance, there were instances where I used ordinary household objects I had around to support my project while assembling.
School Projects (2022, 5th - 6th grade)
Soil for Peas (2022, 5th grade)
In 5th grade, a science fair was held across the entire grade where we made a report, used the report on a tri-fold board, and presented it to the class as well as the rest of the school. During a one month period, I prepared for this presentation with my project—a study on how well peas grew in different types of soil.
After gathering four different soil types to work with (mulch, pumice stones, dirt, and water), I regularly watered the peas and recorded their individual heights on a chart (the one planted in water grew the highest, followed by pumice stones. I speculated that the pumice had a lot of nutrients, considering that there was arable land near volcanoes). I also included a Biblical application of the project (I attended a religious school, and this was required), comparing the growth of peas to the growth of religious faith described in the Bible.
In the three images on the left, my project tri-fold board is displayed. On the day of the presentation, I first presented to the class, then had to help move my class’s desks and chairs so that we could have a whole room of presentations that the younger grades could walk around on. For the next two days, we spent our last few days of class to present and look at each others’ projects, which brought us lots of insight on the topics we had researched.
Wonder One-Pager (2022, 6th grade)
In our 6th grade literature class, we were assigned as a first project a poster (one-pager) about the book we were required to read over the summer. The information we included on these one-pagers all had to be researched about from the book, and had to be completely accurate. No uncolored space was allowed.
When I was making my one-pager, I decided to use the book Wonder by R.J. Palacio to do my one-pager on. Upon reading the book and analyzing its cover, I thought that the colors and images I wanted to include could match up with Wonder the best. So, I completed my assignment based on the book.
Because Wonder had a lot of imagery in the text about space and how the main character had an astronaut helmet, I made space the main theme of my one-pager, displayed on the left. I felt that the book and the title “Wonder” was best represented by this space theme, the stars and the cool color palette emulating an intricate and expansive feeling.
After working on the project for around two weeks, our literature teacher stapled our one-pagers in the hallway, the stretch of walls covered in varying colors and drawings.
Little House (2021, 4th grade)
In the summer of 2021, my grandparents finally came, for a second time, from Korea. I remember being so excited to finally see my grandfather, whom had scarcely come to visit along with my grandmother. A reverent and quiet person, my grandfather had displayed to me a strong and respectable figure.
One weekend afternoon, I decided that I would build a house for my little sea otter finger puppet. Announcing this to my mother, I was told to ask my grandfather to help, as he had been an architect before retiring.
My grandfather, always making a habit of planning, made a simple blueprint with me and started to cut up the old foam board that had not been used.
Together with my grandfather, I cut the foam board and hot glued the pieces together, each piece and window being calculated almost exactly to ensure a proper job. Still, as I look at my shelf in my room, I look at that tiny house and remember how much fun I had that day with my family.