Q. In what grade are you currently enrolled?

A. I am currently a 12th grade student at Emmaus High School.

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

A. My parents are Jennifer and Christopher, my sister is Anna and I have a golden retriever named Boba Fettch.

Q. What is your favorite subject and why?

A. This year, I am only taking four classes at EHS because I am enrolled in the Emerging Health Professionals program. With that being said, I do enjoy my AP English Literature/Composition class with Mr. Gavin. It’s a class full of people who are actively engaged in the learning and Mr. Gavin is able to create discussions that are unique and fun to follow.

Q. Have you received any special awards or recognition?

A. I am currently in National Honor Society which has created a great opportunity to give back to my community and reflect on my values. Also, in July of 2020, I was chosen by Mr. Landrum for the Resiliency and Creativity Award in Science, which is based on the “Portrait of a Graduate” criteria.

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

A. I am involved in the school’s Gratitude Club which has been a bit more difficult to take part in because of the drawbacks from COVID-19. We want to be as involved and close to our community as possible but the pandemic has created some barriers we are working to overcome. I have also played the clarinet and been in the symphonic band since fourth grade. Unfortunately, band was taken out of my schedule this year due to my obligations to the Emerging Health Professionals program. In addition, I’ve been on a community soccer team since 2010. I am a passionate soccer player but haven’t been able to participate for the past few months because of the safety precautions we’ve taken against COVID-19. I hope to play again in the spring.

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

A. I would say my biggest challenge to date has been the Emerging Health Professionals program I’ve been taking this current school year. It involves a college-level and Lehigh Career and Technical Institute class that are both demanding and unique to anything I’ve ever done before. Taking a college course has definitely better prepared me for future school endeavors and has shown me the rigor expected from me as a dedicated student. Besides the complexity, we do also have amazing opportunities through the program. For example, we have been shadowing at St. Luke’s campuses as well as having speakers talk to us about different career paths and health-related subjects. This class has already opened my eyes to what is to come and has been a solid foundation for my future to build upon.

Q. What is your next goal after high school?

A. After high school, I see myself going to college and completing a pre-med education route. I want to go into the medical field and have been working toward becoming a surgeon. I’d like to do surgery or take a related path because they definitely are majorly impactful and help to treat and save people. Someday I would love to do what they do and make an impact on the people I serve.

Q. Whom do you admire? Why?

A. I admire my mother the most. Though perhaps a clichéd answer, she is a strong and independent woman. For as long as I can remember, she has been working her way up the education ladder to pursue her true passion. When I was at Lincoln Elementary school, she started as a lunch aid there and I remember she would get up on stage and sing on the microphones at lunch. Though slightly embarrassing for fourth grade me, her personality was able to shine through – something everyone loves the most about her. She then worked at other schools, first as a remedial teacher and then as a substitute for the next few years. 2021 was a major breakthrough for her. After going above and beyond for so many years, her efforts were recognized and she is now in a yearlong position teaching first grade at Lincoln, ironically where it all began. I am proud of what she has accomplished and amazed that I have gotten to grow up and watch as she’s grown and flourished as well.

Q. For what would you like to be remembered?

A. I would love to be remembered as someone who made an impact. Someone who was there for people when they needed it the most. Someone who listened and helped anyone who was struggling. I would like most to be remembered as a friend, someone to pick you up when you’re down and show people their worth. I hope to accomplish this by being a part of the medical field and providing care to those who need it most.

Q. Do you have any advice for your peers?

A. I would tell my peers to remember a few things. We are all in a similar boat. We all are taking classes and living, quite literally, in a global pandemic. It is perfectly all right to feel overwhelmed and unsure about what is to come. We have the rest of our lives ahead of us – let’s not get too caught up in anything too deep right now. I would also advise people to offer themselves to other people, in a way that shows they care. Over the past years, I’ve found the best thing you can do is to talk to other people. Genuinely, talking to a person is such a unique experience. You learn things about yourself and others you never would have known. Something as easy as offering a smile to a classmate or something bigger like chatting with someone you never have before makes an impression. I find that even small compliments can have such a major impact on someone’s day. To end off, I’d say to always be yourself. Again, it’s a clichéd phrase but it’s true. Find the people that let you flourish being yourself and hold on to them.