Flora Shen

Flora Shen said her favorite part of participating in the Bill of Rights Institute’s “Think The Vote” program is “being able to ‘listen’ to other students’ opinions and understand their perspectives.”

That can be connected to what Shen feels most proud of, which is “how I’ve grown and developed as a person throughout the years,” she said. “Especially in high school, the new experiences I have been given changed my mindset and allowed me to become a better version of myself.”

Shen is a student at Barrington High School in Barrington, Ill., and is active in badminton, Scholastic Bowl and her school’s Science Olympiad and Chinese Club. While she hasn’t officially figured out her future plans, Shen plans to attend college and considers education, the environment, and the regulation of artificial intelligence as the issues she cares about most.

Shen also considers Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci as her hero, adding that “from painting The Last Supper to sketching flying machines, he contributed to fields of both art and science greatly.”

In her spare time, Shen enjoys reading, drawing, and watching television.