Student of the Week is a new feature of The Forum designed to help readers get to know Latin’s student body, one voice at a time. By selecting random students, our staff hopes to encourage connection and community—we hope you enjoy!

Scarlet Gitelson (SG): What’s your favorite lunch served in the cafeteria?
Rowan Ing (RI): I’m always looking forward to the drinks … like the iced tea or strawberry lemonade … but not really the food.

SG: Where would you say is your favorite place to hang out in school?
RI: For me, it’s definitely Ms. Maajid’s office—it’s been a very welcoming space for me as an Asian American for the past four years. But I also like to hang out on the fifth floor with the space next to the window. The view on the fifth floor is just amazing, and I think some people could appreciate it a lot more, especially if you’re in one of the classrooms overlooking the park.

SG: What would be your advice to a new student at Latin?
RI: My advice to a new student at Latin would be to get your priorities straight. At Latin, it’s really easy to get distracted by the many opportunities we offer here along with classes and homework, and I think coming into the school with a good set of values and a good set of goals is really important.

SG: What is something in your life right now that looks different than you would have expected it three years ago?
RI: Junior year was a blur because I was just really busy the whole time, and now there’s too much time senior year. It’s really weird. Honestly, for freshmen and sophomores, I just advise them to enjoy their classes and have fun.

SG: What did freshman and sophomore year look like in terms of your high school experience?
RI: Now, picking a major for college, I realize that my experiences in Middle School and in the Upper School are really important for the hobbies I’m picking up, what classes I took, and the experiences those teachers gave me. Right now, I’m focused on English and history, while initially I was actually one of the worst writers in Middle School. But since I put so much time into it over the past few years, I am actually more inclined towards the liberal arts than I am towards STEM classes now. So I think the past four—I guess you could say eight—years have been really important in shaping the type of student I am as I go into college.