Tommy Barton is an extremely intelligent and involved full International Baccalaureate (IB) student at John Adams High School. Throughout her time at Adams, she has engaged in many of the activities and clubs that her school has to offer. As the president and founder of the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) club, Tommy plans meetings and field trips, leads discussions, and manages advertising and fundraising events. She is a model UN executive, and she leads meetings, organizes field trips, and leads writing and research efforts. Tommy is part of the Spanish club where she tutors other students in Spanish, teaches cultural traditions at after-school programs, decorates annual club events, and makes food for meetings. Her knowledge of the multi-faceted IB program has led her to participate in the Student Advocates for IB Diversity program (SAIBD), for which she visits schools, holds open nights, hosts tours, and advocates for the IB program. Expanding into the area of mental wellbeing, Tommy joined the BC2M (Bring Change To Mind) Mental Health club at Adams her senior year, where she is the social media manager and holds the responsibilities of making infographics, promoting club activities online, and creating and editing reels for the club’s social media page. As a way to put use to the random facts floating around in her brain, Tommy joined Quiz Bowl, participating in competitions for her team. Finally, she is part of both the National Honor Society and the Spanish Honor Society.

Tommy’s diverse collection of pastimes continues with her outside-of-school hobbies. She is a classically trained pianist who has been working to master her craft since she started practicing at age 5. She spends much of her free time reading, learning French, playing chess, and volunteering. She has consistently volunteered at La Casa De Amistad since her freshman year at Adams. This volunteering consists of her teaching at after-school programs and during the summer as a camp counselor, painting walls, and assembling furniture.

When asked about her favorite teachers from her four years at Adams, Tommy had a special few in mind. She first noted Mrs. Stanton, saying, “She has always been there for me throughout my time at Adams, from being my extended essay advisor to being the leader of many of the clubs I am in to just being my Spanish teacher. She has helped me gain a profound understanding and appreciation of the Spanish language and culture, and inspires me to act with kindness and compassion in everything that I do.” Secondly, Tommy marks Mrs. Beatty’s importance in her high school career, doting, “She is an excellent teacher for the world religions topic as she creates an environment that actually encourages me to learn. Additionally, I have grown up knowing her as my neighbor and now seeing her as a teacher makes the learning experience much more personal.” Finally, noting her appreciation for Ms. Jozwiak, Tommy commented, “Her teaching style is adaptable and enables me to produce the best content possible.”

Out of her many consequential memories from her time as a high schooler, Tommy reflects on two that stand out to her as her favorites. She recalls going to prom as a sophomore with her best friend, Lily Kahn. Tommy remarked, “It was my first ever dance in high school and it was a very uniting event seeing everyone looking their best and dancing to their heart’s content.” Another memory that shines through for Tommy is the first high school football game that she attended in her sophomore year. She commented, “Although I do not enjoy sports or even understand football, I got to be in the front with all of my friends and experience the rush of a high school football game, a definitively formative event.”

Peering into the future, Tommy hopes to attend Columbia University and major in English with a minor in business. After undergrad, she hopes to attend law school as a graduate student. Her future profession is undecided, but she hopes that she will do work that actively improves the world and inspires other people to be themselves. The Tower wishes Tommy a future and career filled with further achievement and contentment!