Jolynn Cai

  

Volume 9 | Issue II | June 2025

Agoura High School ’26

California, United States

  

I always knew I wanted to understand the human mind. This was thoroughly solidified after watching countless episodes of Law & Order, where Special Agent George Huang, the squad’s forensic psychiatrist, interacted with and profiled suspects and witnesses. I was fascinated by his profound understanding of the human psyche and how he effectively applied that knowledge to help others. Since then, my strong passion for psychology and understanding how the human mind works has led me to delve deeper into this topic. My first paper, published in the Scholarly Review, was written on a study I conducted in my district to understand the challenges facing my fellow peers and how to improve their well-being. One unique challenge that I noticed my classmates faced was a lack of motivation to exceed their potential. Wanting to study this phenomenon further, I came across the topic of mindsets in my search for answers. This academic interest ultimately led me to write my research paper for The Schola. Through this extensive process of reviewing existing literature and revising my piece, I have been able to explore my interests with the support of knowledgeable scholars to promote adolescent mental health across cultures. In school, I am a Peer Counselor who helps students facing challenges, and in my leisure time, I enjoy volunteering with various charities and creating music.