By Katelyn Nguyen
Meet senior Arden Nguyen! She is a writer and the current news editor for Baron Banner. Arden first heard about the publication from her friend, fellow writer and editor Kayla Hoang, and wanted to learn more. She grew to love Baron Banner due to the freedom that comes with it: the ability to write and explore whatever she wanted.
“There’s so much you can learn from just one class,” Arden said.
However, there is more to Arden than just Baron Banner. She has a love for photography and it all began with a phone and a small flower. Although the picture was amateur, she developed a desire to improve her skill. Now her photos range from plants to people as Arden continues to build her portfolio. Her curiosity doesn’t stop there, as shown in her love for the environment.
She is a part of the school’s ecology club due to her interest on society’s impact on the land that surrounds us. Arden believes that there should be a greater focus on conservation and that an increase in laws and emphasis on the environment rather than profits is necessary. She is also concerned for some of the conservation laws towards endangered animals and pollution that have been repealed over recent years.
Outside of school, Arden loves to travel. The hustle and bustle of her previous family vacations in metropolitan areas have left her wanting to step back and relax. “Somewhere warm where there are beaches and palm trees” is the first destination she would choose if she could travel anywhere around the world.
Her future plan after high school is to become a speech-language pathologist, helping those who have speech disorders and diagnosing them.
“When I learned about speech-language pathology, everything just seemed to click,” Arden said. “There’s a chance my goal will change in the future, but for once, I know what I want to do with my life.”
This journey takes her to either a California State University or a University of California campus in hopes of combining her love of science and language. All in all, Arden strives towards authenticity, taking on many life experiences to shape who she is as a person and combines that with her self reliance and hard work.
“These values—working hard, learning to be independent and being myself—shaped who I am both inside and outside the classroom,” Arden said. “To me, they’re incredibly important for growth and success in life.”
Her determination to live her life as true to herself is what drives her.