Talia Manning

Participating in community service during my cultural exchange in Japan was one of the most meaningful parts of my time abroad. Throughout the program, we spent 3-4 hours each day at a local high school teaching students about American culture, and I was specifically responsible for introducing Black and African American culture and explaining how it shapes American society as a whole. I discussed historical roots, the Civil Rights Movement, and the global influence of Black culture through music, language, fashion, and social activism. Many students’ knowledge of the United States came from media portrayals, so they were curious and engaged as we talked about identity and cultural expression. Despite language differences, we connected through shared interests like music and sports, making the exchange feel genuine and meaningful. This experience reminded me of the responsibility that comes with representing both my country and my culture, and it reinforced the importance of representation, dialogue, and cultural education in building empathy and cross-cultural understanding.

Very great time making the spooky balloons

I really enjoyed working on the slides for the marshmallow tower experiment—it gave me a chance to be both creative and intentional about how we presented the process and results. It was fun choosing what to highlight and figuring out how to make the visuals engaging. Actually performing the experiment was even more exciting, because it turned all of that planning into something hands-on. It was interesting to see how different approaches worked and how teamwork played such a big role in the outcome.

I also genuinely appreciated being able to attend both meetings on August 26th and September 23rd. Each one gave me a better understanding of the group dynamic and what we’re building together. They were welcoming, informative, and motivating, and they made me even more confident about being involved moving forward. Overall, both the experiment and the meetings have been meaningful experiences that showed me how much I enjoy both collaborating and contributing to group projects.

I attended the Honors Recruitment 09/04/2025 at Triad Math and Science Academy. It was nice to talk to high school students about the Honors college and about the application process. I enjoyed giving them valuable insights.