20 Questions with Ingrid Altunin
Ingrid Altunin ’20 is an aspiring biologist and passionate artist, beloved by the OHS community for her projects as the Board Chair of Arts. Learn more about her in these 20 questions with editor-in-chief Hannah Yang.
Pixel Journal: What’s the first thing you do every morning?
Ingrid Altunin: I walk to the window in my living room and look outside for a solid ten minutes while planning out everything I need to do during the day. Really helps to clear my mind and feel a little productive in the beginning of each day!
PJ: What’s an extracurricular project you’re working on right now?
IA: Research! I’m working on a comparative genetic study of a particular mutation in plants and a study that is analyzing how DNA repair mechanisms function in microgravity.
PJ: What’s one thing on your bucket list?
IA: Go to Australia and visit the Great Barrier Reef. I really, really want to see a koala bear!
PJ: If you could only drink one beverage for the rest of your life, what would it be?
IA: Either tea or lemonade.
PJ: What could you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
IA: Waffles, especially Belgium waffles. (They are so good!)
PJ: What did you want to be when you were a kid and why?
IA: I don’t think I ever wanted to be a specific thing or profession when I was a kid, I just knew that I wanted to do something that helped people in the future.
PJ: If you could have coffee with any person, living or dead, who would it be and why?
IA: Definitely Rosalind Franklin or Mary Cassatt! Both of them were very influential women in their respective professions, science and art, and it would just be really cool to ask them questions about what motivated them and why they choose to do what they did in life.
PJ: Kittens or puppies?
IA: I love puppies! Kittens are cute too, but puppies have my heart all day, every day!
PJ: What’s one thing no one knows about you?
IA: I used to be allergic to strawberries, so I stopped eating them for five or six years. Then one day I decided to try one again and I was no longer allergic!
PJ: What is one book that everyone needs to read?
IA: Identically Different by Time Spector.
PJ: Up to five of your favorite songs from your current playlist:
IA: My friends can vouch for me here. I can’t choose a favorite, let alone five!
PJ: Do you have a favorite movie?
IA: Not really! I can’t really choose—there are so many good ones! :)
PJ: Who’s your favorite OHS teacher?
IA: I honestly can’t choose!
PJ: What’s your favorite OHS class?
IA: It’s a tie between Advanced Topics in Biological Research and Democracy, Freedom, and the Rule of Law.
PJ: What’s your favorite emoji?
IA: Either the koala emoji or the elephant because they are so cute! Or the pink heart with sparkles (also, why can’t Apple just give us a plain pink heart emoji?). 🐨🐘💖
PJ: What is one accomplishment that would make your life complete?
IA: Making something that helps people by saving lives or making their lives better and happier.
PJ: If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?
IA: I would change the endless need for progress. In recent years, everyone has been striving for progress: making the newest technology and creating things that are bigger and better, but a lot of the time they are not thinking about the consequences of progress. To me, it is very overwhelming. Some days I just want everything to stop so we could fix problems and find solutions that were neglected in this striving for progress.
PJ: Grad Weekend or Summer @ Stanford?
IA: Definitely Summer @ Stanford.
PJ: What do you want to do after high school?
IA: Hopefully go to college and pursue a career in something related to biology! I also want to work more on the things that I love to do, like dance, piano, violin, and art!
PJ: Finally, what’s one piece of advice for your fellow OHSers?
IA: Don’t doubt yourself. At OHS, it is really easy to convince yourself that what you are doing isn’t enough and sometimes you’ll feel stuck. In those times, it is important to believe in yourself. You will get those good grades, you will achieve your dreams, and you can do whatever you dream. You just need to stop doubting yourself! I know that sounds cheesy, but it’s true!!