Assignment 1 - Dilni Abeyrathne

My name is Dilni Abeyrathne. A few things about me: I play the violin in the Chamber Orchestra and I love to research. Playing music takes me to another world of wonders and I feel that my violin is forever a part of my heart. In addition, I have an avid fondness for researching anything that comes to mind, be it astronomy, history, music, or any other topic. Quite frankly, I don’t know when I developed an interest in that, but it has been advantageous and interesting thus far. I also love anything to do with Language Arts. It has been a passion for me for several years. I especially love writing and reading and I like to think that they keep me sane when life seems too stressful.

My academic goals for this year revolve mainly around doing my best in all my classes and getting more involved in the community and in-school extracurricular activities, including clubs such as History Club and Writing Center, both of which I am a part of. I am also going to strive to increase my ACT score several points and earn at least a five on all my AP tests (fours are acceptable, too, in few cases). My personal goals number many, including writing. This year, I plan on writing another poem to hopefully get published and getting substantial work done on my book, which I have been working on for several years.    

My favorite part of the summer was when I went swimming with my family in Key West, Florida. I especially loved the day when my brother and I swam among several different species of fish. As a person who has a deep-seated love for the natural world, I felt so amazed and thankful that we could have this opportunity. The fish we swam with did not fear us much and it was wonderful to experience the beauties of this planet, especially with my brother, who made it all the more special with his endless happiness and excitement, as he loves nature, too.

If I could have any superpower, I would pick shape-shifting. This ability has intrigued me for a long time. I find it interesting to be able to shift into quite literally anything because I feel that would allow me so many more perspectives on this world. Usually, I find myself constantly contemplating what another’s perspective would be like and I feel that shape-shifting would let me in on at least some aspects of how others see this world. It would also allow me many more experiences. In theory, I could shape-shift into a bird and finally feel the exhilaration of flight!

My list of things that “geek me out” is extensive, so I have given a few that manage to capture my attention the most.

-History: I know I’ve bored my family several times with my lectures on Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

-Reading: I cannot go for long without a good book to read.

-Music: My violin and keyboard are a passion of mine.

-Nature: Peace and inspiration are what I find from the natural world.

In strict terms, I don’t have a favorite website, as I don’t frequent the Internet. However, one website I like is https://www.nasa.gov/ for interesting astronomical information. 

This picture has intrigued me for several years. It defines what a book is for me: a magical realm in which I can chase away my troubles and catch an exciting adventure.