Q. In what grade are you currently enrolled?

A. I graduated from Emmaus High School in June.

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

A. My mother’s name is Patricia, my father’s name is Brian, my older brother’s name is also Brian and I have a goldfish named Bubbles.

Q. What is your favorite subject? Why?

A. As a future statistics major, math will always be one of my favorites, but the subject I found myself most intrigued by this year was sociology. The pandemic opened my eyes to the diversity of human behavior and the course provided me with an opportunity to study it more in-depth.

Q. Have you received any special awards or recognition?

A. I am an AP Scholar, Commended Scholar of the 2022 National Merit Scholarship Program, EHS Honor Graduate, member of the French Honor Society, member of National Honor Society and the recipient of the Excellence in Technology Education (2019), Excellence in French (2020 and 2021), Excellence in World Studies (2021), Excellence in Writing (2021), French Club (2022) and Excellence in Social Studies (2022) awards. I have also been named student of the month three times at the high school for my performances in my STEM physics, French and drivers education courses.

Q. Were you involved in any extracurricular activities? How did COVID-19 impact these activities?

A. I was involved in Habitat for Humanity, Hornet Ambassadors, French Club, Math League, Young Democrats and National Honor Society. More specifically, I served as vice president of the Habitat for Humanity club for the past three years, president of Leo club my sophomore year and president of both Math League and French Club my senior year. COVID-19 did not eliminate my ability to participate in these organizations, but simply changed my actions within them. For example, instead of serving Thanksgiving dinner to seniors at our annual luncheon, I found myself making cards for nursing home residents and children in hospitals. COVID-19 put community service at the forefront of the national agenda and I found myself immersed in a culture of people who were more willing than ever to help others. Habitat had its most members during our virtual year and we were still able to raise a substantial donation for our local sector despite our meetings being held behind screens. This year, the organizations I participated in were able to continue our virtual, socially distanced and in-person events to maximize our capacity to give back.

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

A. My biggest challenge was my transition from online school my junior year to full-time in-person classes my senior year. Although online school was extremely trying at times, I was only balancing a maximum of four classes a semester (with Emmaus’ block-scheduling organization that year) and had the luxury of a 30-second commute, easy access to snacks and lunch at home with my family. Going into my senior year, I faced my heaviest academic schedule to date, 5:45 a.m. wake-ups and levels of social exposure I had isolated myself from for over a year (in addition to college applications!). However, overwhelming this was for me, I will always cherish this year’s memories stemming from the re-immersion into the classroom atmosphere.

Q. What is your next goal after high school?

A. After high school, I hope to continue on my pathway to becoming a clinical psychologist by completing my undergraduate degrees in statistics and psychology as an honors student at the University of South Carolina. I hope that through this experience I can explore my academic interests, improve my work-life balance and formulate new friendships.

Q. Whom do you admire? Why?

A. Due to their passings before I was born, I was never able to meet either of my grandfathers, so I find myself cherishing the relationship I hold with another member of my extended family: my cousin Paul. He is a man who possesses an unending capacity for compassion and kindness and I can always rely on him for words of wisdom, book suggestions and a good story. He is someone who knows something about everything and everything about something, and some of my fondest childhood memories are of his visits to our home. My jewelry box still holds the princess crown necklace he bought me when I was in preschool.

Q. For what would you like to be remembered?

A. At the beginning of this school year, I was asked a similar question during an icebreaker activity in one of my classes. Looking back, I remember being speechless and eventually mumbling an answer about my grades. However, recent events have caused my mindset to change. When I reflect back on the happiest moments of my life, they are all times I have spent with friends and family and I want to always be remembered as a person who played a role in making these moments cherished memories. I will always continue to work hard to reach my college and career goals, but I want my legacy to be of my character and not my career.

Q. Do you have any advice for your peers?

A. Being a teenager in today’s society is extremely difficult. Not only are we faced with increasing demands in both the academic and professional atmospheres, but the presence of social media makes self-deprecation and overstimulation extremely common among American teens. Taking time for oneself is not a sign of immaturity or selfishness, but a necessity if we are going to overcome society’s greatest threats. Every moment does not need to be productive and a lot of our current issues stem from our decreasing capacity to recognize and formulate meaningful relationships with others. Take time away from screens to give your brain a break from our terrifying reality and nurture those relationships.