Sandia Prep - 532 Magazine - Fall 2016

Amali Gordon-Buxbaum ‘17 has broken bread with
protesters in Cuba, swum with elephants in Thailand,
and gone past “the point of no return” in Benin, all
before graduating high school. Although her time at Sandia
Prep has been both transformative and edifying, Amali’s travels
abroad have influenced her in a way no classroom lesson
could. Her remarkable experiences have gifted her with a
unique approach to life that has helped her excel inside and
outside of the classroom. Now, armed with a superlative
education and the knowledge of a seasoned explorer, Amali is
ready to take on the world.
Born in Albuquerque, Amali always knew her path would
lead her through Prep. Her father, Chuck Buxbaum, has
taught Biology and Environmental Science here for almost 20
years, and her older sister graduated from the school in 2015.
Although she has strong connections to Prep, her family isn’t
the only reason she chose to attend school here.
“I can’t lie that a large part of it was that my sister and my
dad were already there, but I also really connected with
the kids that I met on my buddy day, and I could tell that
the atmosphere was something I would really enjoy,” she
explained.
In her six years at Prep, Amali has taken advantage of nearly
every opportunity the school has offered. She is currently
an Editor-in-Chief of the Sandia Prep Times, a guitarist in the
school’s jazz band, a participant in Model UN, a member
of the Student Government Association, a member of the
National Honor Society, and an avid flamenco dancer outside
of school. Although she has many commitments outside of the
classroom, Amali always makes sure to prioritize learning; she
was the recipient last year of the prestigious Bausch and Lomb
Honorary Science Award from Rochester University in New
York, which recognized her excellence in science.
Amali credits the academics and extracurricular activities at
Prep with shaping her into whom she is today.
“I think by allowing me to explore my interests, Prep has
definitely helped me decide where I dream of going in life,”
she said. “It has also helped me to (become) a leader, whether
that’s a leader of the newspaper staff or of the entire student
body.”
In seventh grade, when Amali’s parents told her the family was
moving to Hanoi, Vietnam, for a year, she was sad to leave her
school, but also excited for the new adventure. While living
in Vietnam, she attended Hanoi International School, where
her entire grade was made up of only 20 people. There, Amali
became close friends with students from Denmark, Egypt,
Finland, the Czech Republic, and Germany. With her school,
she traveled around Vietnam and visited many small villages,
learning about the country’s geography and demographics. She
also learned how to play a traditional Vietnamese instrument,
the T'rung, which is a bamboo xylophone.
Although an experience like this may come only once in a
lifetime for most people, Amali’s time spent in Vietnam is
just one of many adventures she has had. Amali has been
to Mexico, Cuba, Nicaragua, Egypt, Israel, Ecuador, the
Galapagos, Thailand, Laos, and Benin, a trip she especially
enjoyed.
Gordon-Buxbaum with her host sisters at
the beach in Cotonou, Benin.
“I think my favorite
(trip) would have
to be the one I took
to Benin,” she said.
“The main reason
behind going was
for me to have an
opportunity to speak
French outside
of French class.
And it was really
convenient because
my parents have long-time friends who are from Benin but
currently live in Canada, so I stayed with their relatives. I
learned so much not only about the French language but about
African art and their culture.”
Amali’s travels have embedded in her a passion for activism
first introduced by her parents. She has fond memories of
attending demonstrations with her mother and father from
as early as the age of eight. In her travels, she has seen great
injustices which she believes warrant protest. She still recalls
her shock upon learning of the deaths that continue to happen
in Laos due to unexploded bombs littered around the country.
Instead of standing by, watching these inequities occur, Amali
has decided to take action. She currently interns at a radio
station called Generation Justice, which focuses on youth
leadership in social justice issues. She plans to continue
participating in social justice and activism groups in college
and beyond.
As a senior, Amali often finds herself thinking about her future.
She is excited for college and is currently awaiting a response
from her first-choice college, Northwestern University. She
plans to study journalism, which combines her interest in
people with her interest in current events, and she also hopes
to continue studying music.
Her dream job is working for the New Yorker magazine to
which she has had a subscription for years. She enjoys how
detailed their articles and profiles are and believes they “really
take journalism to the next level of almost storytelling.”
Amali knows that with her experience and education anything
is possible.
“I have gotten a lot of insight from all the places I've gone to,
which could make the transition into a bigger, more diverse
community smoother,” she said. “All those perspectives and
all that insight will help me make decisions on how I want to
shape the things that I do.”
- Matthew Nair '17
Student PROFILE