Q. In what grade are you currently enrolled?

A. I am currently a senior at Emmaus High School.

Q. Please provide the first names of your family members: parents, siblings and pets.

A. My parents are David and Ann Bertram, and my older brother is Noah Bertram. My family has five cats, their names are Elmo, Momo, Cookie, Cream and Bounce.

Q. What is your favorite subject? Why?

A. My favorite subject is science, more specifically biology. I love learning about the process of our world. I think it is quite interesting to understand the scientific foundations of our society and how different organisms interact with one another.

Q. Have you received any special awards or recognition?

A. Yes, I have received a few awards throughout my high school career. I have earned the Principal’s Honor Roll, Academic Excellence, Excellence in Literature, Excellence in Personal Finance, National Honor Society and I have been the girls lacrosse captain for two years.

Q. Are you involved in any extracurricular activities? How has COVID-19 impacted these activities?

A. Yes, I am a part of the girls lacrosse team, Hornet Ambassadors, freshman mentors and PALS. COVID-19 stripped me and my team of our lacrosse season last spring; this was very devastating but I will be even more heartbroken if I don’t get to play my senior year as well. As for the other activities I’m involved in we are either meeting virtually or have very minimal contact at all. Working through a screen makes it difficult to participate in activities that normally involve collaborating and helping others.

Q. What do you consider your biggest challenge to date?

A. I think my biggest challenge to date is taking online college courses. College and high school are very different with the amount of rigor the courses require. It has been an interesting transition to begin college courses at Lehigh Carbon Community College this year and at the same time they are all online. Virtual learning and in-person learning are very different and it can be very challenging to adapt to a new subject and teaching style from behind a screen.

Q. What is your next goal after high school?

A. I plan to attend York College of Pennsylvania to further my academic and athletic career. I intend to major in nuclear medicine technology or business administration. After graduating college I hope to move out of the Lehigh Valley and find a job that I love.

Q. Whom do you admire? Why?

A. I admire both of my parents; they are my biggest role models and motivators. Both of my parents have taught me hard work and perseverance pay off in the end. They both have never backed away from a difficult situation and their determination has taught me to do the same. I hope to raise my future kids just as well as they have raised me and my brother.

Q. For what would you like to be remembered?

A. I would like to be remembered for my hard work and willingness to help others. I have always tried to maintain good grades and be a leader on the lacrosse team and I also try to be open to helping those who are struggling, whether in school, with personal problems or sports. So many people have helped me in ways they probably don’t realize so I try to do the same for others.

Q. Do you have any advice for your peers?

A. Never give up on yourself. It can be easy to lose yourself when school, sports, work and many other activities start to pile up and consume your life. Sometimes you need to take a step back and breathe, focus on yourself for a little and then reattack the challenge at hand. Nothing is ever easy or always fair, but always stay true to who you are and do what you think is right.