Favorite thing to do in free time:  Doodle

Five things I can't live without: A pencil for my endless doodling, my collection of survival manuals, Tintin, mint chocolate chip ice cream, and the question “Why?”

My top three dream assignments or interviews:  Bear Grylls, Greg Forbes, and the MythBusters (Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman)

My most prized possession:  My dad’s old Boy Scout pocketknife

My proudest accomplishment:  Persevering through a nut-allergy experiment where I am a human lab rat

Who I look up to:  My older sister

My favorite book is:  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, by J.K. Rowling

My favorite book genre is:  Nonfiction

My favorite movie is:  Abbott and Costello Go to Mars

My favorite sport or sports team is:  Lacrosse

My favorite musician or musical group:  They Might Be Giants

My pet peeve:  The feel of squeezing a beanbag

One thing hardly anyone knows about me:  I love to celebrate obscure holidays. (On Fresh Breath Day, I handed out mints at the bus stop.)

Career goal:  Food scientist