Maria sees her secret to improvement and success as being reflective. Although selfreflection requires patience and introspection and is sometimes uncomfortable, it can be productive and serve as a concrete way of attaining one's full potential. Maria is a grade eleven student in her first year of the IB DP program. Originally from Russia, Maria grew up in Tashkent, but moves periodically between Virginia, USA and Tashkent. She identifies as an ethnic RussianKorean, part of the group of Koreans that were resettled in Central Asia during the 1920’s30s. She loves to golf, read fantasy fiction novels, and watch anime. In her free time, she likes to sleep, and write her own fiction stories. As a teenager, suddenly, on the brink of being thrown into a world of adulthood and leaving home, she recognizes the simultaneously scary and anxious experience for both herself and her friends. For that reason, she finds one of the best ways of coping with and facing new challenges to be the small quiet, contemplative moments of momentary selfreflection on long car rides, and solitary golf games. She hopes to share her passion for the limitless possibilities of continuous improvement through selfreflection with her friends and audience. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx