Kenza Arraki: I was born and raised in Southern California and have always been interested in astronomy. I enjoy watching the stars while camping and looking up to the heavens through my neighbor's telescope. I hope to major in Astronomy and Physics so that I can further explore the far reaches of space. I love relaxing and watching movies, listening to music, and reading.

Michael Motte: Hello all, this is Michael J. Motte. I was born in Oakland California eighteen years ago on March 30th. I moved to Washington at the age of five and have been here ever since. I often return to California as my father still lives there, as does a large part of my family. I intend to major in some form of science, and have had a fixation on astronomy for my entire life.

AJ Singh: Gazing at stars during black nights was always fascinating to me. Since my childhood, I have always been interested in things that fall under *real* astronomy. Thinking of the many objects too far away to even think about, only makes me question my place in this universe. Hobbies include: sports.

Niki Gilliland: Since I was young I have always gazed up into the stars and wondered what is out there. That is why I am joining Pre-MAP, there is so much to explore and I want to know more about our universe. I am also one of the directors for Table Mountain Star Party, which is located in Ellensburg, WA, and is where a bunch of amateur astronomers gather and look at the stars. Astronomy Rocks!!!

Whitney Kropat: I'm a Cape Codder who has just come to Washington, and have always been interested in science, although I'm currently undecided as to a major (chemistry, physics, or astronomy??). My interests include playing field hockey, snowboarding, reading, and travel. I love music as well, and being wicked nerdy (way more fun than it sounds), and also religiously watch the Colbert Report. And The Daily Show.

Karl Clapp: I have lived in Washington on the Eastside my entire life and absolutely love it. I am very much outdoors oriented and love learning about why things happen. My favorite hobbies include: snowboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, and soccer. And as far as school goes, I love the UW and can't wait to learn lots of good science =D .

Jimmy Zhu: My name is Jimmy Zhu, and I am a freshman from Roseburg, Oregon. Born in China, I moved here to the United States when I was a year old. I like to learn about math and languages and hope to major in math and minor in Chinese. In my spare time, I like to do sports or anything active. I took part in the Early Fall Start, taking the Astronomy class and found that it was a very interesting class and decided to take Astronomy 102 and PreMAP. In PreMap, I hope to learn as much as I can about research, find and do a research project that I will enjoy, and hopefully discover something new!

Kathryn Smith: I have lived in both California and Washington, but my home has been in Ashland, Oregon for the past nine years. I love the water and the sky, but, since water is more accessible, I like to spend most of my time on or in it. I've visited twenty-two countries in three continents, which means only that I've seen too little of too many places, and wish to see much more soon. I appreciate good music, but find it impossible to define what makes good music good. I also enjoy movies, long walks on the beach, and cliches.

Tom Riecken: The great thing about astronomers is that they are always looking up. My name is Tom Riecken, and I want to know about the cosmos. I grew up under the cloudy skies of western Washington, but that just made clear nights so much more enjoyable. I do astronomical art, both digital and traditional. I play didgeridoo, even though it drives my cluster roommates insane. That's me... Hopefully I can contribute to the astronomical community.

Rahul Raychaudhuri: I've always been fascinated with science, especially physics and astronomy. Unlocking the secrets of the universe has always been my dream and I plan on pursuing it for the rest of my life. I also enjoy playing basketball, listening to music, eating, and playing video games. My favorite science writers are Stephen Hawking and Brian Greene.

Katie Chung